Strange Currencies
by verseseven
Summary: As Nessie faces the awkwardness of becoming a teenager and then a young woman, how will she deal with her new, strange feelings for Jacob? And what is Jacob thinking as he sees Nessie growing up?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I have to be honest. When I first read Breaking Dawn I was really very upset about Renesmee. I shut the book and refused to read the rest of it until months later. It wasn't until I saw the movie Breaking Dawn that Renesmee was sort of humanized for me. I became curious about what her "ever after" would be like.

I have been obsessed with writing this story and already have at least 30 chapters already written. I've never developed a story before I published it, so it's a new thing I'm trying out. Also, I'm not an "expert" on Jacob and Nessie. I'm trying to keep their background stories as canon as possible, but I might get some details wrong now and then.

This story is rated M for language and mature themes. But, we won't get there for a while because Nessie is growing up. Thanks to **JamesRamsey** and **ShynaMends** for pre-reading!

Please let me know what you think!

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Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended. Thanks and credit to Stephenie Meyer her creativity and storytelling!

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After the gathering of witnesses and nearly being slaughtered by the Volturi, life returned to normal for my family. Well, that's not entirely true. One does not come so close to death without being changed by it. There was a high probability that the Volturi would return to challenge us again. Of course, my family had faced death before and survived…reborn as vampires. They were strong and brave, but would now always live with even more caution than they previously did.

I was a baby when it all happened and the confrontation wasn't ever discussed openly. But, afterward, through watching and listening, I knew things were different. In the years before I was born our family would move every four to five years. It was because they were immortal and to maintain the secrecy of their true nature (being vampires) it wasn't wise to stay in one place for longer than that. Yet, my family had decided to remain in Forks, although to the outside world the Cullens had officially moved far away.

I'm not sure why we stayed. I think it was partly because they wanted a familiar, controlled environment in which I could grow up. I was half human-half vampire. There weren't many creatures like me in existence. As my mind and body rapidly developed, I was kind of an ongoing science project. Grandpa and Daddy were very careful to make me feel comfortable and I didn't complain, but there were monthly physical examinations that I didn't always look forward to doing. I was weighed and measured, poked and prodded, blood was drawn and x-rays were taken. Afterwards, Grandma and Aunt Rosalie would always take me out for ice cream.

I loved my family. And even though I was an unusual creature and we were an unusual family, I couldn't imagine anyone else having a happier childhood than I did. I was almost never alone. Quality time together seemed to be the love language of my family.

In the mornings I spent time with my aunts. Aunt Alice never tired in using me as a dress up doll, and to her delight, I enjoyed it. Aunt Rosalie and I were especially close, she loved to brush my hair and take thousands of photographs of us together. Uncle Emmett and I shared a competitive streak and I loved racing him through the woods. Sometimes I won, but I knew it was only because he let me.

Grandpa worked a few days a week at a hospital in Seattle, but he and Uncle Jasper were in charge of my studies. A few hours each day was devoted to learning mathematics, science, languages, philosophy, history, literature and other academics. Everything was fascinating to me, and Uncle Jasper and Grandpa were great teachers.

Although I preferred to hunt with the rest of the family, Grandma insisted that I eat human food at least once a week. I hated the taste of it, but I liked spending time with Grandma. After dinner we would often sit together and she would tell me stories about the family - the places they had lived, the people they had met.

Of course, the most important people in my life were my parents. I enjoyed spending time with the rest of the family, but my favorite part of the day were the evenings when the three of us would snuggle together in my bed and I would fall asleep to the sound of my Mama's voice reading a bedtime story. Sometimes I would catch my parents gazing at me, then exchanging affectionate smiles with each other. I adored them and they adored me.

I felt loved and cherished.

There was also Jacob. He wasn't a family member, but I couldn't imagine my life without him. He was...Jacob...and he was always there for me. In some ways, we had more in common than I did with my family. Jacob seemed to understand me in a way that even my parents didn't. He knew when I needed to laugh or when I needed time alone. We shared a weird connection. Sometimes I thought he could read my mind like Daddy.

As the years passed by, there were subtle differences that showed I was growing up.

One day, out of the blue, I started calling Mama, Mom and I think it kind of hurt her feelings, since Daddy continued to be Daddy. Then, I balked at going to get ice cream and instead wanted to go to the mall (Aunt Alice began joining us for those excursions). And of course, my relationship with Jacob changed.

It was summertime and he and I were at First Beach in La Push. I saw Jacob everyday, but Saturdays were our special day together when it was just the two of us. It was a rare, hot, sunny day, and we were wondering if the water was warm enough for us to swim. I'd seen Jacob without his shirt countless times, but for some reason, this day was different. It was like I saw Jacob with new eyes. I noticed his muscles, the way the water glistened off his chest, the way he smiled at me. It made my heart beat faster and my stomach churn with nervousness.

Jacob noticed me watching him and I blushed for the first time in my life and quickly averted my gaze. I was sitting on the beach and he ran from the water and plopped down beside me.

"What's up?" he asked, holding his hand out for me to take it.

In general, I preferred to show people what I was thinking instead of talking. By simply touching their skin, I could project my thoughts into their minds. As I grew older, my family encouraged me to talk most of the time. Aunt Rosalie said that when I was fully mature I would be able to go into public and live amongst humans; I wouldn't be able to use my gift with them, so I might as well get used to talking like everyone else. Also, Mom said it was kind of rude.

Being with Jacob was different than being with my family, though. He let me be me. I wasn't a science experiment, granddaughter, daughter or niece. I was Nessie.

But there was no way I could tell Jacob that I was noticing his body in a different way for the first time. It was way too embarrassing.

I glanced at him, smiled shyly, and shrugged. He looked at me with a curious look on his face and put his hand down.

"The water feels good. Want to swim?"

Suddenly, I felt self-conscious in my bathing suit. It was a modest one piece, but my body felt so awkward compared to Jacob and his...body. I blushed again. What was happening to me?

"Race you to the rocks," I exclaimed, jumping up and running towards the water.

Jacob chased after me. "Ness, be careful!"

I dove into the huge waves and began swimming towards the rock formations that were a half-mile away from the shore. Usually there were surfers, but on this morning the water was surprisingly empty. Jacob quickly caught up with me and tried to get my attention, but I continued forward with determination.

Being half-vampire had its advantages. Even though the water was rough and choppy, swimming was easy. When I reached the rocks, I began to climb.

"No, Renesmee, no," Jacob called out. "It's too dangerous."

I looked over my shoulder. "You're being ridiculous. I'm half vampire. And...you're not the boss of me, either!" As soon as I finished speaking I immediately cringed with regret. I'd never spoken to Jacob with an attitude before and I sounded so dumb.

Jacob reached the top just before I did and reached out his hand to pull me up. I refused his help.

"I guess you won," I muttered, glancing at him. I was surprised to see a look of hurt on his face and it disarmed me. Usually he gloated like Uncle Emmett whenever he beat me at something.

"Did I do something to make you mad?" he asked.

I sighed. Jacob was always, always so kind and caring. I hated that my attitude made him feel like he was doing something wrong. I shook my head.

"No, I'm just feeling weird. Sorry."

Alarm crossed his face. "We should get you home, then."

I rolled my eyes, slightly annoyed. "I'm not sick." I looked down at the water. "Do you think the water is deep enough to jump?"

"No way you're doing that, kid."

"I'm not a kid!" I yelled, surprising myself as I raised my voice. I turned, ready to fling myself off the rock, but instead Jacob picked me up in his arms. He cradled me against his chest, covering my head with his large hand, and then jumped.

It was a thrilling feeling, not just sailing through the air, but being so close to Jacob. He had held me a thousand times during my life, yet this time it felt different. I was more aware of how large he was, how his skin felt against mine, how safe and warm I felt when he was near.

I held my breath as we hit the water and within seconds we broke the surface. I wrapped my arms around Jacob's neck and he wrapped his hands around my waist. He was smiling, but almost ironically.

"You know, your mom jumped off a cliff once, kind of like this," he said, as we bobbed in the water.

"She did? Why?"

"That's her story to tell, but at the time she was sort of into thrill seeking. Are you becoming a thrill seeker, Nessie?"

Jacob was holding me tightly and my eyes wandering from his eyes to his lips. I was in my sixth year of existence, soon I would reach my full maturity. These strange new thoughts filling my head made me dizzy. What would it be like to kiss Jacob the way Aunt Rosalie kissed Uncle Emmett? How thrilling would that be?

He released his grip slightly, but not entirely and I instantly realized I had been projecting my thoughts.

I pushed Jacob away and began swimming towards the shore.

"Nessie, wait. Do you want to talk about it?"

I truly was going to die of humiliation. No! Jacob and I talked about everything, so it was only natural that he asked, but I didn't want to discuss whatever I was feeling about Jacob with Jacob. Strangely, these feelings didn't feel inappropriate, but they did feel…weird. I needed to talk about it, but not with him.

Ignoring Jacob, I managed to reach the beach before he did. I grabbed my towel to cover myself up and when I saw three familiar figures in the distance, I sighed with relief.

Saved by the wolves!

"Embry, Claire, Seth!" I waved and ran toward them with excitement.

"You guys are here? Cool!" Seth exclaimed. "It's so nice today we thought we'd do some boogie boarding." He held up his board. "Want to try?"

I nodded. "Sounds fun!"

"We want to make sand castles, right Clairebear?" Embry added. The little girl giggled and swung her pail back and forth.

Claire and I had once played together, but I had quickly outgrown her mentally and physically. We were still friends, though.

"That sounds like fun, too. I'm glad you're all here."

They had no idea how glad I was. I wouldn't have to talk to Jacob about my feelings with other people around.

Just as Jacob joined us I felt his hand on my shoulder, I stepped forward and reached out my own hand towards Claire.

"Let's go play," I urged her. She smiled and together we skipped down to the water.

Jacob and his brothers talked in the distance while Claire and I made sandcastles. I'd always known about the pack and Jacob being a werewolf. When I was really young, I once made Jacob pretend to be my pet. I threw a stick and made him fetch it. My aunts and uncles laughed and laughed and laughed, but then my parents came outside and told me to stop. I didn't understand what was so funny or wrong, we were just having fun.

As I grew older, I began to spend more time with the pack and understood Jacob wasn't a pet. He was a protector. He and his brothers were created to protect the tribe….from vampires. When I realized this, I asked Jacob if he hated me because I was half vampire. He was shocked and sat me on his lap and told me that he loved me and could never hate me. He explained there was a treaty between my family and the Quileutes. We were friends and always would be. My family was nice, but there were other vampires who weren't so nice. The job of the pack was to protect the tribe from those vampires. Jacob then kissed me on the cheek and I felt much better.

Our day at the beach ended up being a lot of fun. With the others there, I was finally able to relax and stop being so silly. Seth taught me how to boogie board and when Jacob eventually joined us, I greeted him with a splash and that broke the tension between us. He smiled widely and proceeded to dunk me underwater.

When the sun set, we all went to Emily and Sam's house for dinner. I watched Jacob while he ate. He always ate a lot of food and during meals like these when so many of the brothers were together, he seemed especially happy. Jacob spent a lot of time at my house, too, but being here with his own people he seemed more comfortable. It made me happy when Jacob was happy.

It was near midnight when Jacob and I left the others and began to walk back to his house. He casually draped his arm around my shoulders and I snuggled closer. I was careful to not project my thoughts and let him know how much I enjoyed being so near him.

Jacob yawned. "Ness, would you mind staying at my house tonight? I can drive you home in the morning."

More time with Jacob? Yes, please.

"Should we call my parents and ask?"

He nodded and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to me. My parents were always together, they were inseparable and obsessed with each other, but I intentionally dialed my mom's number. I knew she liked Jacob better than Daddy did. She answered on the first ring.

"Hey, Jake. Are you bringing Renesmee home now?"

"Mom, it's me. Is okay if I stay with Jacob and Uncle Billy tonight?"

I don't know why I made the point of mentioning Uncle Billy.

"Sure, darling. Would you come home early, though?" My mother sounded anxious. "Your monthly check up is tomorrow."

Oh joy. My favorite thing in the world. "Okay," I sighed and hung up without saying goodbye.

"She said no?" Jacob asked, surprised.

"She said yes."

"Then why the sigh?" He did a perfect imitation of my frustrated sigh.

I couldn't help but smile. "I have a physical examination tomorrow. I hate those things."

Jacob squeezed my shoulder. "Want me to come with you? I'll hold your hand through the whole thing."

My eyes lit up. "Would you, Jake?" I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You're the best."

"Anything for you, kid," he whispered, hugging me back.

Again, I wanted to remind him that I wasn't a kid, but I wasn't in the mood to fight. Jacob always made me feel better and if he was with me it wouldn't be so bad.

Uncle Billy was asleep when we reached the house. Jacob glanced at me as he turned on the light to his bedroom. I was still wearing my bathing suit, but over it was one of Jacob's sweatshirts and my own pair of shorts.

"Do you need something to change into?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine."

"Okay, cool," he replied, grabbing a pillow off the bed and then a blanket from a chair in the corner of the room. "Let me know if you need anything."

He walked towards the door.

"You're not sleeping in here…with me?" I asked. Whenever I slept over at his house, we stayed together. When Jacob was at my house, my father wouldn't allow it.

Jacob turned around. "Uh, no, not tonight, sweetie. It's sofa city for me."

He leaned forward and kissed my cheek quickly, then left.

I turned off the bedroom light and climbed into Jacob's bed. It smelled like him and I inhaled deeply. Everything about Jacob made me feel safe. Pulling the covers over my head, I cringed as I remembered how I had shown him my thoughts about kissing him. That must have freaked him out and I was overcome with worry that I had damaged our friendship forever. My eyes filled with tears. I didn't want anything to change between me and Jacob! Things were perfect the way there were. My stupid weird feelings ruined everything!

In the morning, I woke up before Jacob did. I walked into the living room and he was sprawled out on the sofa, his body much too large for it to be a comfortable place to sleep. He was snoring and I was mesmerized. He was…adorable. Warmth filled my body and my breathing increased. I became nervous and I didn't know why.

I had to leave. I didn't want Jacob waking up and seeing me gawking at him like this. I grabbed my sandals and quietly left through the kitchen door. Heading towards the woods, I started running home. With all my visits to LaPush, I knew the way like the back of my hand.

As I ran, I realized this was the first time I had ever been alone. Ever. In my entire life.

It was a strange feeling, but I kind of liked it.

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_Updates will be on Mondays and Thursdays. Please review!_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thanks to those of you who are reading and reviewing! :) You're the best!

Did anyone else freak out like I did about the Renesmee photos featured in Entertainment Weekly? Who else is excited about Breaking Dawn Part 2?

Thanks to ShynaMends for pre-reading this chapter.**  
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**Jacob**

I was totally and completely under Renesmee's spell from the moment I laid eyes on her. Instantly she became my own personal sun and everything in my atmosphere revolved around her. I was unconditionally bound to Renesmee forever.

It wasn't something I chose, but I was _happy _about it. _So_ happy. Before imprinting, whatever happiness I thought I had in my life was nothing compared to the way I felt now that I had Nessie. I couldn't go one single day without being in contact with her or I started to feel physical pain. To anyone who didn't know what imprinting meant, it probably looked really pathetic. Your whole life was dedicated to pleasing and protecting someone else. My needs didn't really matter, Nessie was my everything. And the crazy thing was, I couldn't imagine my life any other way.

I was irrevocably changed. I was still _Jacob,_ but now I had_ responsibilities. _Nessie was my number one priority, but I was also Alpha of the pack, too. Balancing spending time with Nessie and being the Alpha was a challenge. She was growing up so fast, changing so quickly. I didn't want to miss a second of it. While my brothers understood, I couldn't spend twenty four hours a day with Nessie like I wished I could. It helped that she had the Cullens as her family. They were all pretty much obsessed with her like I was.

Sometimes I wondered where I fit into Nessie's life when she had so many people vying for her time and attention. But, I knew we had a special relationship that was different from the one she had with her family. When we held hands and she projected her thoughts into my mind, it was like we were one person or something. It was almost supernatural, but then again, it probably was. We weren't exactly normal creatures.

After Nessie was born, it was a peaceful time for the pack. We continued to phase and patrol the area, but we also settled into normal lives. Sam and Emily had three children, Seth graduated from high school, and I managed to open up a small mechanic's garage in Forks. I didn't know how long I would be able to keep it. Since I was phasing regularly, I wasn't aging. In ten years I knew I would still look like a twenty-four year old man. Eventually, I wouldn't be able to leave the reservation or see outsiders. But, at least for now, I could come and go in town as I pleased.

Bella and Edward and the Cullens accepted me into their unusual family, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I was one of their own. I didn't want to be. My ultimate loyalty and devotion was to Nessie. Her family was under that loyalty by default. I trusted them, but I would always be a werewolf and they would always be vampires. The treaty stood strong, but they still weren't allowed past the boundary line unless there was special approval. Nessie was the only Cullen allowed on the reservation.

As Nessie grew physically and mentally, I knew things between us were changing. For a long time, I was like an uncle to her, much like Jasper or Emmett. But, then things began to shift. She had new needs as she got older and I instinctually adapted to meet those needs.

Nessie was becoming a _teenager_, right before my very eyes, and she had no idea what was happening to her, either. It started slowly. She continued to be the sweet girl she always was, but an undercurrent of an attitude started to form. I could have immediately explained what was happening to her and what was mostly likely to come, but I knew it was something she had to go through naturally. I hoped the teenage years wouldn't be too rough. I couldn't ever imagine her being a smart mouth, troublemaker like I was as a teenager, though.

I think I noticed even before Edward did that Nessie was starting to mature in a new way. She was unusually close to her parents, but talking to _me _about certain things seemed to be easier for her. It secretly thrilled me that I was the only person she would really, truly open up to. She was becoming restless, more independent and curious about life.

The Cullens were all about classical music and poetry and fancy clothes and cars from Europe. I wanted Nessie to feel like a normal kid, so I tried to help her experience "human" things. I introduced her to macaroni and cheese, _Wrestlemania,_ taught her how to ride a bicycle. I saw her almost every day, but on Saturdays we had the entire day together. It was my favorite day of the week, having her all alone to myself and not having to compete for her attention.

One regular Saturday morning we were at the beach, as we had been so many times before, and out of the blue something shifted between us.

For the first time, Nessie refused to tell me what she was thinking. I had waded into the water to see if it was warm enough for her to swim in and when I came back out, she had the strangest expression on her face. She had never looked at me that way before. When I held out my hand for her to share what she was thinking, she shrugged and dashed into the waves.

To be honest, it kind of hurt my feelings. Nessie had no idea how much power she had over me.

I swam after her, of course, and was surprised she wanted to swim so far from the shore. When she started to climb one of the rock formations, I had a mini-panic attack. Yeah, I knew she was half vampire and wasn't going to get a bruise or anything, but seeing her around any potential harm whatsoever drove me fucking crazy.

Nessie had always been adventurous, even since she was a toddler. I liked that she wasn't afraid of new things and loved learning. But, she was cautious about her choices, too.

_What has gotten into my girl?_ I wondered as I clamored after her. She was smart enough to know how dangerous rock climbing could be, especially with no shoes, gear or helmet.

Another first, Nessie refused my help. She stubbornly pulled herself up at the top of the rock, instead of taking my hand. I could understand she wanted to do things on her own. It sort of reminded me of Bella – having an independent, stubborn streak – but I was created to help her. For Nessie to reject me, even slightly, made me wonder what I had done to upset her.

She apologized, of course, because she was a sweet and perfect girl, but an attitude soon followed. An attitude! With _me_ of all people! Her _Jacob_!

As she looked at the water, I knew before she did what she was thinking. Definitely like mother, like daughter. Cradling her in my arms, I made her jump with me, instead of allowing her to fling herself off the top like some maniac. Ness was so small and light, I could easily protect her from harm.

As we emerged from the water, I was overwhelmed with how adorable Nessie was and how much I loved her and how I would do anything to keep her safe. If she wanted to chase after any more thrills, I was going to be right there with her every step of the way.

As we bobbed in the water, Nessie projected her thoughts. She was looking at me and my lips and thinking about kissing. Her thoughts felt more mechanical than romantic, but it still kind of alarmed me. She was curious about that kind of stuff? That was definitely a first.

When she realized she was projecting, she freaked out. We always talked about everything, but once again, she refused to talk to me. When my pack brothers arrived, I put my hand on Nessie's shoulder, as a sign of affection and maybe even out of possessiveness, and she shrugged it off.

Ouch.

In fact, she spent the next several hours ignoring me. It hurt like hell.

Eventually things began to thaw between us. We went boogie boarding and splashed around the water. It was crazy that as a twenty four year old man I could have so much fun with a six year old girl. Well, Nessie wasn't exactly six years old in her mind and body, but she was still very, very young. But, there was no weirdness when I was with her. It felt natural and right.

Dinner with the pack was fun and at the end of the night when we walked back to my house, I didn't really want to let her go. Sure, I was tired, but not tired enough to drive her home. I knew things were changing between us. If she was ignoring me today, she might be ignoring me tomorrow. Stupid teenage mood swings. At least she let me put my arm around her as we were walking home. I wanted to hang on to her childhood for as long as I could. I was happy the way things were between us and didn't want it to change.

But, as we walked into my bedroom, a sense awkwardness hit me. Ness was nervous and fidgety and I knew immediately we could no longer share a bed. She was still young, but she was growing up, too. If she was thinking about kissing and was moody about me touching her, then it just wasn't appropriate anymore. When I headed towards the living room, I knew I hurt her feelings.

And I knew she was too young to understand.

As I laid on the sofa, thinking about her, I knew Nessie was in a strange place in life. Mentally, she was already a genius. But, emotionally and physically she was on the brink of adulthood. During the last six years, I hadn't allowed myself to think about the future. I had no idea what to expect. I honestly couldn't imagine having a romantic relationship with her, but the idea of her dating or being with another man made me want to punch a hole in the wall.

I fell asleep thinking about Nessie, as I did every night, and it was a peaceful sleep, but I woke up in a panic. I stumbled off the couch and went to my bedroom to check on her. As quietly as I could, I opened the door and when I saw an empty bed, my heart stopped beating.

She was gone.

I almost phased right then and there, but managed to get outside before I destroyed the house. My clothes ripped to shreds and I began to look for Nessie. I could track her better in wolf form.

I knew her scent better than my own. There was a trail, but it was faint. There weren't any other scents with it, human, vampire or wolf, but that didn't make me feel much better.

As I ran, my protective instincts went into overdrive. If anyone hurt Nessie in any way, I knew I would kill them. No doubt about it. Edward and Bella were going to go ballistic. They had given me their complete trust to take care of their little girl. Would they let me see her again after this? Of course, I would see her no matter what they said, but the last few years had been peaceful. I didn't want Nessie to see us fighting.

Nessie. She had never just taken off like that before, hell, I doubted she had ever been _alone_ before. Something had to be horribly wrong if she left on her own. Was she mad at me because I didn't share the bed with her? Nessie had never been mad at me, usually because I always gave her whatever she wanted. That was part of the imprint relationship. But, last night was different. Nessie may have _wanted _me to stay with her, but that wasn't what she _needed_. How could I explain that to her? She didn't even know that I had imprinted on her. She thought I was simply a family friend…

Edward was waiting for me as I reached the edge of the Cullen estate. I stayed in wolf form, since I didn't have any clothes with me.

"She's here and she's fine," he greeted. He looked tired, if that was possible for a vampire that didn't need sleep.

I was relieved, but the tension remained. _"God, Edward. I'm sorry. I was asleep and when I woke up she was gone! I should have been watching her more closely…." _

Images of the potential dangers that could have happened to Nessie flashed through my mind. Edward cringed as if he was in pain.

"It's not your fault, Jacob. Renesmee said that she didn't want to wake you and simply decided to come home by herself."

"_Is she mad at me?"_

"No, why would she be? What did you do?" he raised an eyebrow. Edward knew I loved Nessie more than my own life, but he was still an overprotective father.

"_I slept in the living room while she slept in my bedroom. She wanted me to stay, but I didn't."_

"Oh."

The mindreader didn't know what to say. That didn't happen very often. Edward looked deep in thought for a moment, but didn't ask any questions.

"Renesmee is with Bella now. We'll let her know you stopped by."

"I need to see her."

Edward sighed. "She'll be at the main house soon. Meet us there."

I nodded and turned to go back into the woods, as Edward began to walk to the cottage.

"Alice put out a fresh change of clothes for you," he added.

"_Thanks."_

There would always be tension between me and Edward because of our history, but we tried to get along for the sake of Bella and Nessie. Since I was a constant presence, the family had put a small closet shaped building on the edge of the property where I could keep clothes. I went directly there and changed. The clothes smelled like vampire and I gagged, but I couldn't see Nessie naked, could I? And I wasn't going to leave.

Edward told me she was safe, but I wouldn't be totally at peace until I saw her with my own eyes.

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_So, what do you think? Is Jacob being creepy or is there a good balance? Can you imagine how awkward it must be to see your imprint become a teenager? _


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Hello to new readers! Thanks to **ShynaMends** and **Noble Korhedron **for pre-reading this chapter!

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**Renesmee**

When I left Jacob's house, instead of going to the cottage, I went straight to the main house. Uncle Emmett was in the living room, watching television and I sat down beside him.

"Woah, where did you come from, little girl?" he ruffled my hair.

"Jacob's house."

"Where is Jacob?"

"He's at home."

Uncle Emmett stared at me in shock. "How did you get here, then?"

"Oh, I ran through the woods."

"By yourself?"

I nodded, almost with pride.

Uncle Emmett began counting down. "Five….four…three…two…one."

"Renesmee, your mother and I need to talk to you," my father's voice called out behind my back. I looked over my shoulder and saw that although he looked calm, I knew he was upset. "_Now_," he added, firmly.

I nodded and obediently followed him out the door. He held out his hand and I took it as we ran to the cottage. I projected my memories of the previous day, of playing with Claire, boogie boarding, having dinner with Emily and Sam, but left out the embarrassing moment with Jacob. A slight smile crept on his face and then I showed him how I had climbed to the top of the rocks all by myself. His smile faded and he pinched the bridge of his nose, which he only did when he was super stressed.

Was I in trouble?

Mom was waiting for us at the front door. She hugged me and put her arm around my waist as she led me to our cozy living room. It was one of my favorite places. The three of us would often lie on the sofa together and read, then talk about what we'd read. But, I knew there would be no reading this morning.

I sat down in a chair while Daddy and Mom sat on the sofa.

"Okay, what did I do?" I blurted out.

They exchanged glances. My father arched an eyebrow.

"First of all, watch your tone, young lady."

I sighed. "Sorry," I whispered. I loved my parents. They didn't deserve my bad attitude.

"Darling, you can't run through the woods by yourself. It's not safe."

"It's not a big deal, Mom."

Daddy laughed, but out of shock, not amusement. "Not a _big deal_? Really?"

"No, _Dad_. It's not!" It was only twenty miles.

"Oh, so I'm _Dad_ now?"

I sighed, once again. "Jacob was sleeping. I didn't want to wake him up and I've ran that trail many times…so I just came home."

Daddy pinched his nose again. "Running through the woods by yourself is reckless behavior."

"How is that reckless?" I didn't run to Seattle. I ran _home_.

"You're a vampire, but you're also human," Mom reminded me. "You could get hurt. We haven't tested your limits physically. Until we know, you must be careful. Do you understand? You're the most precious thing to us. We can't lose you."

I felt like rolling my eyes. They were so over protective. But out of respect for my parents, I didn't. "You're not going to lose me," I mumbled.

"Renesmee, remember…the Volturi?" my father winced as he said their name.

I nodded.

"They will always be a threat to our family. I don't want to scare you, but we have to be cautious. You can never be alone."

"Never?" I shrieked.

My father looked at my mother. "Never," she repeated.

Anger welled up inside me. "It's not fair!" I exclaimed. "I'm not a kid anymore. I should be able to go places by myself!"

My parents were clearly shocked by my outburst.

"We're all following this rule, it's not just for you."

I crossed my arms against my chest and pouted. "Still not fair."

"And rock climbing, Renesmee?" Daddy added. "What was that about? Did Jacob dare you to do it?"

Mom glanced at Daddy, then at me. "Rock climbing?"

"It was my idea. Jacob didn't want me to do it. I thought it would be _fun_. You never let me do anything!"

"Darling, what's wrong?" my mother asked, concerned with my new attitude. "You know you can talk to us about anything."

I stood up. "God, I just want to be left alone!"

My parents mouths dropped open in shock and I turned and marched to my room, slamming the door. Flinging myself on my bed, I began to cry. Regret overwhelmed me. Why did I talk to my parents like that? It was true, I could have fallen from the top of the rock and split my head open. I couldn't really go to a hospital with my weird DNA, could I? And did I want one of the Volturi kidnapping me and taking me back to Italy? No way!

As I cried, lamenting about what a horrible creature I was, I heard my door open. Mom and Daddy crawled on the bed, lying next to me, one of them on my right and the other on my left.

"We love you," my mother whispered, kissing my cheek.

"I love you, too," I sobbed. "I'm sorry for being such a jerk. I've been feeling so strange lately, but that's not an excuse…."

Daddy smoothed my hair and kissed my forehead. I cried harder.

"I won't run off again and I won't climb any more rocks," I promised.

"Sshh, you're being too hard on yourself, darling. We just want you to be safe."

My parents held me for awhile, then Daddy slipped out of the room.

"He's talking to Jacob," Mom explained.

"I left without saying goodbye," I replied. "That was rude."

"Jacob was worried and wanted to make sure you were safe. He loves you very much."

I felt my face redden and hoped my mother didn't notice. "Yeah, he's okay," I replied awkwardly. She laughed softly in response.

* * *

_Since this is a short chapter, I will post another chapter tomorrow (if you shower me with reviews). :)_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Well, I wasn't SHOWERED with reviews, but I was sprinkled, so here is a bonus chapter. Next update is Thursday! Thanks for reading!

Also, thanks to** GeezerWench** for pre-reading!

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**Renesmee**

Being reprimanded by my parents devastated me. I didn't want to ever do anything to disappoint them again. I couldn't blame my mood swings for being the cause of my reckless behavior, but something strange was happening. For once, I was looking forward to my monthly physical with Grandpa and Daddy. Maybe they could figure out what was wrong with me? I couldn't continue feeling and acting the way I was.

I fell asleep in my mother's arms and awoke awhile later with my stomach growling. I was hungry. When I was younger, I hated human food. But, lately, it wasn't so bad. Jacob was always eating human food and that made me want to eat it, too.

"Grandma is making lunch for you," Daddy told me as I opened my eyes. I rolled over and saw him and Mom hovering over me. They looked like angels, so young and beautiful. I loved them so much.

I quickly took a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes. Then, my parents and I walked hand in hand to the main house. Grandpa met us at the door.

"Renesmee, before you eat, we should do your blood work. Would you mind?"

I shook my head and greeted him with a hug. "No, I don't mind."

He kissed me on the head. "I will try to make it as quick as possible."

As we walked inside, I spotted Jacob. He was sitting at the bottom of the stairs and jumped up when he saw me. Grandpa and Daddy continued up to Grandpa's office, but I stopped to talk to Jacob. I blushed when I looked up at him, which was becoming a very annoying habit, and tried to smile. Before he could speak, I did.

"I'm sorry for leaving without telling you, don't be mad at me. I won't do it again."

Instead of yelling at me, like I expected, he replied with a half grin. "I'm just glad you're safe, Ness."

We stared at one another awkwardly for a moment, then I gave him a hug. He squeezed me tightly.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"Other than making sure you weren't kidnapped by a bloodsucker?" he tapped me on the nose and I rolled my eyes. "I promised I would be here for your physical."

Somehow I had forgotten. "Thanks for remembering." I grabbed his hand and pulled him up the stairs. "Let's get this over with. I'm hungry."

"Me, too!" Jacob exclaimed. "Do you think Esme will make those tacos that I like so much?"

I laughed and wrinkled my nose. He had once bet me he could eat sixty tacos in under ten minutes. He won, of course, but soon afterwards he spent an hour in the bathroom. Everyone was forced to leave the house because of the stench.

Jacob held my hand during the check up and I noticed my father watching me closely. He always did, but for some reason, it seemed more intense than normal.

Grandpa was true to his word. It only took a few minutes to take a sample of my blood, then weight and measurements. He skipped the other stuff.

For lunch Grandma made soup and sandwiches. Jacob and I ate together alone in the kitchen, like usual, since we were the only ones in the family who ate food.

It was tradition that after my monthly check up, Grandma, Aunt Rosalie, Aunt Alice and I would do something fun together. It began with trips to get ice cream, then as I grew older and became interested in shopping, I asked if we could go to the mall. We couldn't visit the same one more than a couple times since I was growing quickly. So, we would go to ones in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, sometimes even Portland.

Aunt Alice didn't like what I was wearing, so I went upstairs with her to change. When we walked downstairs, I was surprised to see Mom, Daddy and Jacob waiting for us.

"Care if we tag along?" Daddy asked. Sometimes they joined us, but hadn't in a long time. And Jacob _never_ did.

"Jacob, you're coming too?" The thought excited me. I liked spending time with him and we didn't often get to leave my house or the reservation together.

"Is that alright?"

I nodded and smiled shyly.

Aunt Rosalie refused to go in the same car as Jacob because she said he smelled bad, so we took two cars. I joined Aunt Rosalie and Aunt Alice and the others went in Daddy's car. I didn't know why I was avoiding riding in the same car as Jacob when only seconds before I was so excited he was going with us.

We decided to go to a mall in Olympia and technically it was a three-hour drive from Forks, but with my family's need for speed, it only took half that time. I liked the mall because of all the stores and people and activity. But, most of all, I enjoyed spending time with the people I loved. When we arrived and were walking away from the parking lot, I linked my arm with Grandma's and began to ask if we could go to the make-up counter at Macy's. Before I could get the words out of my mouth, Daddy spoke up.

"No."

I frowned. He always told me I was beautiful and didn't need make-up. But, I wasn't going to _buy_ any…just wanted to test it out.

"Daddy, please," I whispered.

Aunt Alice looked at Daddy and he sighed.

"Jacob, let's go to the Mac store and give the ladies some girl time."

My face lit up and Jacob winked at me. I blushed and turned around quickly. I went to kiss Daddy on the cheek. "Thanks!"

Daddy and Jacob disappeared in the crowd and the rest of us went to the make-up counters at Macy's. I liked the attention my mom, grandma and aunts gave me, but didn't want to be fawned over either. So, I picked out lipstick for Aunt Rosalie and eye shadow for Mom. It was a spontaneous makeover party.

We walked around the mall for awhile and browsed through different shops. Aunt Alice wouldn't let me buy any clothes at the mall. Our family only wore things she bought in London, Paris or Milan. But, we did have fun in Claire's, trying on different types of accessories.

Daddy and Jacob rejoined us at one point and Daddy asked if I wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese. He was being completely serious and he asked me right in front of _Jacob _and I thought I would die of embarrassment.

I didn't respond to his question out loud, but communicated with my thoughts.

_I'm not a kid anymore, Daddy! _

He grinned. "Maybe Playlive is a better choice?"

Playlive wasn't as childish as Chuck E. Cheese, but it had still had games and was fun. I had been once with Uncle Emmett. I knew Jacob would like it, too.

"That sounds fun," I replied.

Daddy and Aunt Rosalie chatted with the manager and soon afterward, the store was closed for a private party with our family. Jacob had been unusually quiet, but I had also been doing my best to ignore him. I wandered to stand beside him.

"What do you want to play first?" I asked, putting my hand in his. He squeezed my hand and then looked down at me and smiled.

"Call of Duty?" he was asking as if he needed my approval.

"Bet I can beat you," I teased.

"Game on!" he replied.

Grandma and Aunt Rosalie preferred to watch rather than play. Jacob and I ended up being teammates instead of competing against each other. We shared a lot of high fives and laughter as we eliminated Daddy, Mom and Aunt Alice one by one.

When we finished playing, Mom, Daddy, Jacob and I decided to stay at the mall and go to dinner and a movie. I hugged and kissed Grandma, Aunt Alice and Aunt Rosalie goodbye and thanked them each for such a fun day.

"Jacob, would you and Renesmee mind going to dinner by yourselves? Edward and I will meet you at the theater."

"Sure, Bells, no problem. Where do you want to eat, Ness?"

"Olive Garden?" I had seen it when we were walking around earlier. I thought Jacob would like it. When he nodded and smiled, I silently sighed in relief.

I hugged Mom and Daddy, and they walked off hand in hand. Since they didn't eat food and basically gagged at the smell of it, I understood why they weren't keen on going into a small space surrounded by it. And it gave me an excuse to be alone with Jacob. I was happy for the opportunity.

I had been alone with Jacob countless times, but since the day at the beach, I was feeling so _strange_ around him. I wanted to ignore him and yet also have all his attention. I didn't want things to change, but in less than two days, I felt like everything had changed. I felt dizzy from the swirl of emotions surging through my mind and body.

We walked to the restaurant and the hostess seated us at a booth.

As Jacob sat down, he looked up at me.

"You know, this is the first time we've ever ate at a restaurant together," he said.

I smiled shyly and Jacob looked at me curiously. I avoided his gaze and picked up a menu.

As I tried to think of something clever to say to impress Jacob, our waitress arrived. She was blonde and very pretty and looked to be the same age as Jacob.

"Hi, my name is Heather and I will be your waitress tonight." Her eyes lingered on Jacob, then she acknowledged me with a slight glance, and turned back to him. "Oh, bless your heart. Are you _babysitting_? How sweet."

Everything went into slow motion and the vampire side of my brain went into rapid thought. I knew what babysitting was…I'd seen movies and read books and seen Emily take care of Claire. Babysitting was temporarily taking care of a child on behalf of the child's parents. Mom _did_ ask Jacob to take me to dinner. Technically, he _was _babysitting me. But, all the times throughout my life that Jacob had spent time with me….was that just _babysitting_? I didn't know why, but it made me want to cry.

I raised the menu to cover my face. I didn't want Jacob to see the tears in my eyes.

"It's really none of your business," Jacob replied coldly, "but we're _friends_ having dinner together. And we'll both have water to drink, thank you."

As the waitress left, Jacob spoke to me.

"Renesmee?"

He usually only called me Nessie or Ness. Using my full name was definitely used to get my attention.

I lowered my menu, trying to act casual. "Yeah, Jake?"

"You're my _best_ friend."

He said it, just like that, so straightforwardly and unexpectedly.

"I am?" I glanced up at him and for once I didn't blush when I looked into his eyes.

He nodded.

"So you'renot just babysitting me? I _am_ a kid."

Jacob gave a small smile. "I enjoy spending time with you more than anyone else." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know you're growing up and things are changing between us, but I want you to know that I'll always be there for you. Always."

I didn't know what to say. Words were difficult for me at times. I reached out and put my hand on Jacob's, showing him my thoughts. I shared memories of the happy times we had together, how safe he made me feel and how much I cared for him.

He squeezed my hand and smiled in response.

When I wasn't being a weirdo dealing with my new strange emotions, being with Jacob was fun and easy. He ordered for the both of us, since I was choosing to ignore the waitress. As usual, he wolfed down his food (no pun intended), and as he waited for me to catch up, stole half of my plate of food in the meantime. He made me laugh and by the end of the meal, I felt like we were the only two people on earth.

When we arrived at the movie theater, I felt like things were back to normal, pre-_ooogling Jacob at the beach_ us. His arm was casually draped around my shoulder and we were talking animatedly as we joined my parents. They looked happy to see us.

As we took our seats, Mom and Jacob joked about the last time they had gone to the movies together when Mom was still a human and in high school.

"It was a date?" I asked in shock. I knew Mom and Jacob were best friends, but I didn't know they had gone on a_ date_ together.

"It was a _group_ date," Mom clarified. "Our other friends couldn't make it, but Mike Newton joined us."

Daddy groaned. "I hated Mike Newton."

"Me, too," Jacob added. "He had such a crush on Bella."

"What's a crush?" I asked.

Jacob seemed preoccupied with his fingernails, so Mom answered.

"It's when you think someone is really special and want to get to know them better."

This was all very fascinating to me. "Daddy, where were _you_? Why didn't _you_ go?"

Daddy frowned. "I was out of town."

"Oh."

"It was the night I started to become a _werewolf_," Jacob whispered into my ear. I almost shivered in delight at the feeling of his breath against my skin.

"And I thought he had the _flu_," Mom laughed. "Little did I know…"

I turned to my father. I was sitting between him and Jacob. "Did you ever take Mom out on a date?"

His frown turned into a smile and Mom kissed his cheek. "Yes, she was my first date."

I glanced at Jacob. "Who was _your _first date?"

His eyes widened. I knew that look, but didn't see it often from Jacob. He was embarrassed.

"Who?" I insisted.

"Bella."

I slumped into my seat, kind of in shock. "Weird," I muttered.

"It was a _group_ date," Mom repeated. "Not a _date_ date. There are all different types of dates, Renesmee. Like right now, we're on a _family _date."

The previews began to play and lights went out and we stopped talking. Jacob held my left hand and Daddy held my right hand. My thoughts wandered to the idea of seeing Jacob and Mom on date together. _Did Jacob have a crush on my mom like Mike Newton did? Did Jacob and my mom hold hands? Did they kiss?_ It was kind of too gross to imagine. _Would I ever go on a date? Who would I even go on a date with?_

Realizing I was subconsciously projecting my thoughts, I silently apologized to Jacob and Daddy, and turned it off. I was getting better at using my gift, but sometimes I forgot.

The movie was entertaining and Jacob and I laughed at all the same scenes, sometimes obnoxiously. I liked that we had the same sense of humor. On the drive home, I fell asleep, and when I woke up I was nestled against Jacob, his arm around me protectively.

Although I was half asleep, I didn't want Jacob to have to run all the way home so late at night. I imagined he was tired too. As he carried me inside the cottage, I insisted he stay and sleep in the guest room. I didn't even bother asking my parents if it was okay.

Jacob nodded obediently. "Okay, Nessie," he whispered as he kissed me on the cheek and tucked me into bed. "Your wish is my command."


	5. Chapter 5

**Renesmee**

The next morning, Jacob stayed at the cottage until I woke up, but explained he had to leave to go on patrol, then to work at his garage.

"Duty calls," he said, winking at me, as he hugged me goodbye. Sometimes I forgot he had a job since he spent so much time with me. Suddenly feeling shy, I smiled and blushed as I hugged him back.

As soon as Jacob left, Uncle Emmett appeared. I was happy to see him, but once again was reminded that I was never, ever left alone.

"I need some Loch_ness_ Monster time…" Uncle Emmett greeted, using a family nickname for me that my Mom hated. He stalked towards me and I knew he was about to pounce and begin to tickle me, like he often did.

I took a step backwards. "Uncle Emmett…I just woke up! I haven't even eaten breakfast."

Uncle Jasper appeared behind him. "We came to see if you wanted to go hunting?"

I started jumping up and down. "Yes, yes, yes!" I loved going hunting, especially with the two of them. They didn't try to protect me from larger animals like my parents or Jacob did. While I normally ate a lot of human food, I usually went hunting at least once a month.

"I need to change, be right back," I called out excitedly, returning to my bedroom. In the middle of the night, while I was sleeping, Mom had changed me into my pajamas.

I quickly threw on a pair of sweatpants, a bra (which I had recently begun wearing), sweatshirt and shoes. As soon as I stepped outside the house, I was tackled by Uncle Emmett.

He never hurt me, but he wasn't exactly gentle either. I appreciated that about Uncle Emmett. He kind of toughened me up in ways that the others didn't. I wondered if Aunt Rosalie and Aunt Alice sent Uncle Jasper to make sure Uncle Emmett wasn't pushing me too far.

"I missed you," Uncle Jasper responded to my curiosity, holding out his hand and helping me off the ground.

As our hands touched, I projected my thoughts. _"Missed you, too!"_

Daddy appeared on the trail coming from the main house.

"If my daughter comes back with _one_ bruise on her body, I'm ripping off both your arms, Emmett."

My father was being completely serious, even though he knew Uncle Emmett would never hurt me. And I didn't think it was even possible for me to bruise. At least, I never had before.

Uncle Emmett picked me up and slung me over his shoulder. "I'll treat her like fine china, as always," he replied with a lopsided grin.

I squirmed to lift up my head. Mom had joined Daddy and I smiled and waved goodbye to them both.

"Have fun," Mom waved back, smiling. Daddy didn't smile, but when Mom nudged his side, he finally smiled and waved, too. It seemed like he was always worried about me.

Hunting was always fun. Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper liked teaching me things and I liked learning. We jumped over streams and climbed trees and tracked deer and elk. When we surprisingly came across a cougar, they generously let me have it.

By the time we came home, it was late at night and I was tired. Uncle Emmett was carrying me piggyback as we made our way onto the porch of the main house.

"Do you want to sleep here tonight or at the cottage?" he asked.

"Here is okay. Will you tell Mom and Daddy, Uncle Jasper?"

"Sure will, darling. Night."

Uncle Emmett continued up the stairs and dropped me off at Grandpa and Grandma's room, where I usually stayed when I slept over. He gave me a hug and kiss on the cheek, then ruffled my hair. Although he was rough with me, Uncle Emmett could be really sweet, too.

Grandma was waiting for me.

"It looks like you had fun!" she smiled, looking at my mud spattered clothes.

I laughed, but it turned into a yawn. "I got my first cougar today!"

"Why don't you take a warm shower? I put your pajamas on the bathroom counter."

My Grandmother was always so considerate. "Thanks!" I replied. I would've hugged her, but I didn't want to get her dirty.

I went into the bathroom, took a long shower and washed my hair. As I changed into my pajamas, Aunt Rosalie knocked on the door and offered to help me dry my hair. It often got tangled, since it was so long, and I eagerly accepted her help. As she brushed my hair into sections, and carefully dried it with the blow dryer, I told her about a few funny things that Uncle Emmett had done that day. She smiled and laughed.

When we were finished and Aunt Rosalie said goodnight, my parents were waiting for me in the bedroom. Without fail, every night they tucked me into bed.

The three of us chatted for a few minutes, and then I pulled the covers up to my chest. Mom leaned down and kissed my cheek, followed by Daddy.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered.

As they walked out of the room and turned off the light, I called out for Grandma.

"Grandma, would you come lie with me for awhile?"

"Do you want us to stay, too?" Daddy asked.

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. Just Grandma."

She appeared within a couple seconds and laid down beside me. When I was younger, she would rub my back as I fell asleep. But, tonight, I wanted to talk.

"Grandma, did you ever have a crush on a boy?" I asked, turning to my side to face her.

All day, even though I had been having fun hunting, I had been thinking about crushes. I thought about my Mom and Jacob and then the strange feelings I had been feeling. I was too embarrassed to talk to my parents or my aunts. And talking to Grandpa or my uncles wasn't an option either. Grandma was easy to talk to and I never felt like she was judging me. Plus, out of all the family, except for Mom, she seemed to sincerely like Jacob.

Grandma was obviously surprised at my question, but smiled in response and nodded.

"I was sixteen. I had broken my leg and was rushed to the hospital. The doctor was devastatingly handsome and so kind to me. I blushed every time I saw him."

I blushed when I saw Jacob lately. These strange feelings I had for him…maybe it was because I had a _crush_?

I giggled."So what happened? Did you go on a date with him?"

She shook her head. "He was too old for me. And he had no idea that I was falling in love with him. When I left the hospital, I went back a few days later to see him. But, he was gone - moved far away. I was devastated."

What if Jacob ever left me? The very thought made my stomach lurch. I think I would be devastated, too.

"That's so sad," I replied. "You never saw him again?"

A shadow of pain crossed her face, followed by a slow smile. "I did, many years later."

It was obvious that Grandma still felt very strongly about this _crush_.

"Does Grandpa know that you once loved someone other than him?"

She tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. "You see, darling, that doctor was, in fact, _Grandpa_."

My eyes widened. "No way!"

"When you're older, I'll tell you the whole story. But, yes, it was him and we were able to have our happy ever after."

I sighed and closed my eyes, a smile creeping across my face.

"Happy ever after," I murmured.

I fell asleep, _thinking_ like I usually did, but on this night I thought about love. I thought of how Daddy and Mom met, how Aunt Alice found Uncle Jasper and how Aunt Rosalie found Uncle Emmett. I was thankful Grandma and Grandpa had their happy ever after. In my family, it seemed to be really simple. You had one true love. And it lasted forever. I wondered if I would ever find _my_ true love. _Maybe. Hopefully._ But, I doubted it would be simple.

When I woke up, I was alone and my stomach hurt. Apart from an occasional cold, I rarely ever got sick. It kind of scared me.

"Daddy," I whispered. Within five seconds, he was at my bedside.

"Baby, you don't feel well?" he asked, putting a cold hand to my forehead. "You don't have a fever."

"My stomach hurts."

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?"

"No, it feels different than that."

"Show me where it hurts."

I pointed to my abdomen.

Mom appeared, with a concerned look on her face. Her nose crinkled and then she slowly smiled, as if in amazement.

"Edward, let's take her to the cottage," she whispered in my father's ear and he nodded.

"Would you call Carlisle and ask him to come home?"

"I don't think that's necessary, love." She touched his cheek and they shared a moment. I knew she was undoing her shield and allowing him to see her thoughts.

My father groaned, but instantly looked relieved.

"What is it? Tell me!" I moaned.

Daddy picked me up and cradled me in his arms. "We'll tell you when we're at the cottage."

I leaned against his chest and closed my eyes. Within half a minute we were at our doorstep.

"I _do _need to use the bathroom," I shared. Maybe I was just constipated?

"I'll come with you," Mom offered.

Maybe it was worse than I thought if she wanted to come with me to the bathroom?

I think Daddy wanted to join us, but he waited by the door.

As I pulled down my panties and began to sit on the toilet, I noticed the brownish red spots.

"I'm bleeding?" I exclaimed, looking at my mother in panic.

Mom's eyes glistened. "You're becoming a woman, Renesmee!"

A few weeks before, when my breasts had started to develop and I was growing hair in new places, my parents and I had an "official" talk. They explained the developmental process and even gave me a book called _"What's Happening to My Body?"_

So, I knew what was happening, I just didn't expect it.

I was having my first period.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Thanks to** ShynaMends **and** GeezerWench **for pre-reading!

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**Renesmee**

Intellectually, I understood the physical changes happening within me, but it was just awkward to actually_ experience_ them. For the last few weeks I had felt like my mind was rapidly progressing and my body was trying to catch up. Well, now it finally had...in a way.

"Mom, could I have some privacy?" I asked, glancing up at her.

She nodded. "I'll go get what you need to clean up. Maybe you should take a warm bath to relax?"

"That sounds like a good idea," I replied.

When she left, I turned on the water and let it fill up the garden tub. As I stripped my clothes off my body, I looked at myself in the mirror. It felt like my breasts were growing bigger daily, and there was hair in new places. Mom had said I was becoming a woman and it looked like I definitely was.

After soaking in the tub for awhile, there was a knock on the door. Mom peeked inside and held up a couple of boxes of feminine hygiene products.

"Do you need any help with these?" she asked.

"Um, no, thanks. I think I can figure it out."

She nodded and with her vampire speed, quickly put the boxes on the counter and closed the door behind her.

I cleaned myself, got out of the water and dried off. Mom had left a box of tampons and a box of pads. She also left a fresh pair of underwear and shorts and a t-shirt. After weighing my options, tampons looked intimidating, so I went with pads.

My parents were waiting for me as I emerged from the bathroom. Daddy held a basket in his hands.

"A gift from Aunt Alice," he explained.

The basket held an assortment of chocolates, a hot water bottle and pain medicine. I blushed with embarrassment and mumbled thanks. As they continued to look at me with expectation, I realized they wanted to ask me how I was feeling, but also wanted me to volunteer the information.

"I think I'd like to be alone for a little while," I announced and they both nodded in response.

As I turned to leave, I spontaneously reached out for my mother's hand and pulled her into my bedroom. Mom had been a human teenager not too long ago. She understood what was happening to me.

I crawled onto my bed and pulled the covers up to my neck. Mom stretched out next to me.

Even though I had been educated, I still had questions about my period. Mom patiently answered them. Speaking about the whys and how, the conversation became rather graphic. We talked about _sex_. I knew more about it than she realized, but I still learned a few things. I asked if having my period meant I could get pregnant and have children. Mom was honest with me and she said she didn't know. As a hybrid, I was a mystery.

The recent changes in my body meant that I was nearing maturity. I remembered meeting Nahuel and knew that he stopped growing after seven years. He had lived for over 150 years so far. There were other female hybrids, his sisters, but no one knew where they were.

My family was immortal and I would be able to live with them for many years, but would I eventually die? If I was a human or if I was a vampire, I would have some security in knowing my future, but as a hybrid, I was in the dark. There were a lot of possibilities to consider and before I knew it, I was crying hysterically.

Mom pulled me into her arms. "This is just a normal part of growing up," she said, kissing my head.

"But, I'm _not_ normal," I sobbed.

"No, you're not," she agreed. "You're _special._ You're our miracle."

Although they left out the gory details, my parents had told me the story of how I was born and how both my Mom and I almost didn't make it. It _was_ amazing that I was created and survived. But, my unknown future was kind of scary.

"I'm just kind of scared of the future," I confessed.

Mom wrinkled her brow. "What do you mean?"

I placed my hand on hers and showed her my thoughts about my changes and being a hybrid.

"Growing up is difficult for anyone," Mom replied. "Your father and Grandpa have been doing a lot of research and monitoring your development. There's no need to worry, sweetie. You're perfectly healthy."

I frowned. "My stomach still hurts."

Mom smiled. "It's called _cramps_."

"Why are _smiling_?" I asked, confused. "It's really painful."

"I'm sorry you're in pain, sweetie, but it's just remarkable that you're experiencing such a human thing for a girl. In a strange way, I'm happy for you."

I rolled my eyes. "Thanks," I muttered, but a smile crossed my lips.

There was a knock on the door and Daddy appeared with a glass of water.

"Would you like pain medicine?" he asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, please. Thank you, Daddy."

Even though I thought I wanted to be alone, being with my parents brought me comfort, not just because of my period, but because of my fear of the future. They always made me feel safe and care for, just like Jacob did. My cramps were pretty severe, though, and for the next few days I stayed in bed.

Being a member of a family of vampires, I worried that my bleeding would make everyone uncomfortable. Daddy gave an explanation about old/dead blood not being tempted, but it still made me feel cautious about being around the family. Not that I thought they would attack me or anything...I just didn't want the extra attention. They already noticed everything I did and said. While on my period, I didn't feel like seeing anyone, even Jacob, though he stopped by several times.

I knew I was being dramatic, but I was too embarrassed for Jacob to see me this way. I took several warm baths, read many books, and watched movies on my laptop with Mom and Daddy. If I didn't move, I didn't feel so bad.

Jacob left me a card and flowers. On the front of the card was a red circle with the word _Period_ in the middle. On the inside it said _PMS, hormones, cramps, mood swings….welcome to womanhood! Love, Jacob_

The card made me blush, but it also made me laugh.

Grandpa was fascinated with my experience and wanted to examine me, but when I refused, Daddy told him that perhaps I would be up for it next month. _Next _month? I had forgotten I had to go through this _every_ month. I desperately hoped it wouldn't be so bad.

By the next Saturday I was feeling better, but I was still on my period. Even though it was the day Jacob and I always spent together, and I missed him, I still couldn't face him. When he came to check on me, I asked Mom to tell him I was sleeping.

"Renesmee!" she admonished me. "Darling, why are you being so bashful?"

I groaned. "Jacob's a wolf, he can _smell_ me."

She suppressed a smile. "Alright, I'll let him know you're still unwell. But, _tomorrow_ you're leaving this room, understand?"

I fell back against my pillows, relieved. "Okay. That's a fair compromise."

The next day, true to her word, my mother woke me up at dawn.

"It's _tomorrow_," she reminded me. "Shower, get dressed, and come to the main house."

I yawned, still half asleep, and nodded.

Very, very slowly, I walked to my bathroom and was thankful to discover my period had ended. I took a long, long shower. I blowed my hair dry and instead of pulling it into a ponytail, left it down to hang. Since I had spent the last several days in pajamas, I decided to try to make an effort to look nice. My Mom wasn't too into clothes, but I had recently started becoming more interested in fashion. I chose cuffed jeans and a sleeveless, plum colored silk-chiffon top, with black ballet flats. I wasn't too interested in jewelry, but I always wore the braided bracelet Jacob had given to me when I was a baby.

As I left the cottage, I was surprised that no one was walking me to the main house. This was new, but I didn't complain. As I reached the porch, I saw a familiar face. Grandpa Charlie!

I ran to give him a hug. I didn't get to see him as much as I did the rest of my family, but I loved him just as much.

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"I missed you, sweet pea. Your mom called me last night and said you might be interested in going fishing with me and Billy today. Sound fun?"

"Sure!" I'd never been fishing before, but it would be nice to spend time with Grandpa Charlie. And we would be going to the reservation! I could see Jacob...and maybe he couldn't..um..._smell _any residualsif I was surrounded by fish guts.

Mom made pancakes for breakfast for Grandpa Charlie and I. He laughed and said that Mom was a better cook than Grandma Sue, but told us to not tell _her_ that. I helped Mom wash the dishes, as Grandpa Charlie went outside to talk to Daddy.

"Where is everybody?" I asked, fearing that my period was the reason they weren't here.

"Grandpa and Grandma went hunting and the others went shopping in Seattle. They'll all be back when you get home tonight."

"Oh, good. Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"You said I could never be alone. But, I'm going fishing with Grandpa Charlie? He's not like us, so..."

Mom smiled. "Aunt Alice checked the future and assured us you'd be fine. And when you're at the reservation, you won't be alone. You have the pack to protect you."

"Well, you let me walk to the main house by myself..."

She nodded. "Your father and I talked. We _have_ been very protective of you, Renesmee, and we always will be. But, we admit we can lighten up a bit since you're growing up."

I was surprised, but thankful. I kissed her on the cheek and skipped outside.

When we arrived at the marina, Uncle Billy was by his boat waiting for us. I waved from the car window and he waved back. As we walked down the dock, I looked over my shoulder and saw two pretty Quileute girls talking to two men. One of the men was Seth...the other was _Jacob_.

My heart skipped a beat. Seeing him in person made me realize how much I had missed him. It actually kind of surprised me. But, a strange feeling of jealousy started to overwhelm me. I didn't see Jacob talking to girls very often, especially not girls that were _pretty_ and his age and Quileute. They were all laughing and one of the girls put a hand on Jacob's arm and gave it a squeeze. I'd seen it in movies and read about it in books, even seen my very own parents doing it. They were flirting!

Jacob was _mine_. It had only been a week since I had seen him and now Jacob had new friends? Was she his _girlfriend_? My stomach churned.

Just as I was about to look away, Jacob turned his head and spotted me. A huge smile broke across his face and he ran towards me, completely ignoring the girls around him.

"Nessie!" he called out, running down the dock, sweeping me into his arms and giving me a hug. "I didn't know you'd be here!'

I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. He smelled so good.

"How are you, Jake?" Grandpa Charlie greeted.

"Hey, Charlie, I'm good!" Jacob replied, setting me down on the ground. He seemed so happy. I loved seeing him smile, but not if the reason for his smile was those girls he was talking to.

"What are you up to today?" Grandpa Charlie asked.

Jacob broke his stare at me and glanced over his shoulder. "Seth met this girl and we were all going to go hiking, but then she brought her _friend_..."

"Sounds like a double date," Grandpa Charlie laughed heartily. "Good for you, Jake. It's about time you meet a nice girl."

My stomach churned again. Why were my feelings hurt? Jacob was older than me. I was just a kid, like he said. He needed to spend time with people his own age, instead of babysitting me all the time.

"Um, yeah," Jacob returned the laugh, but there was a puzzled look on his face. "Well, I think I'd rather go fishing today. Dad, do you have space for one more?"

"You should go," I blurted out before Uncle Billy could respond.

Jacob shrugged and draped his arm around my shoulders, grinning at me. "Seth will be okay by himself."

"You can't just ditch your friend like that."

Jacob looked at me curiously. "Do you want to go with us?" he asked.

My eyes widened. "No!" I replied, a little too forcefully. It would be awful to spend the day watching girls flirt with Jacob, while I stood on the sidelines being ignored. Ugh.

Jacob seemed a bit hurt by my response and I tried to smooth it over. I untangled myself from his embrace and went to stand by Grandpa Charlie, who along with Uncle Billy, was watching us curiously.

"Go have fun with your friends," I replied.

"But, I haven't seen you all week," he mumbled, looking down at his feet.

Seth joined us, thankfully leaving the girls behind in the parking lot, and said hello.

"Ness, are you coming with us?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No, I'm going fishing." I smiled brightly. "You guys have fun."

There was an awkward silence and Jacob looked deep in thought.

Grandpa Charlie broke the tension. "We'll hopefully bring back a good catch of fish for dinner," he called out. "Right, Billy?"

"Without a doubt," he replied.

Jacob reached over and gave me another hug, nuzzling his face in my neck. The sensation and nearness of his touch gave me goosebumps. Squeezing me tight, he finally pulled away and when I looked at his face there was pain in his eyes. It unnerved me. Had I hurt his feelings? I didn't mean to do so. Of course, I wanted to spend time with him and it made me feel jealous that he would be hanging out with _girls,_ but he wasn't my property. He needed his own life.

I placed my hand on his cheek, projecting my thoughts of thanks for the flowers and card and how I had laughed when I read it.

Jacob smiled shyly, which he didn't do often, and nodded. "You're welcome."

He and Seth said goodbye and as they walked down the dock to the parking lot, Grandpa Charlie turned to Uncle Billy, with a confused look on his face.

"Well, that was interesting."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** As always, thanks to **GeezerWench** and **ShynaMends** for pre-reading and giving feedback. I'm really tempted to start posting chapters every day...I feel like this story is holding me hostage until it's complete! What do you prefer? Twice a week or every day until finished?

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**Jacob**

I was a rubber band. Nessie was stretching me, but I would always return to her no matter how long and hard she pulled. I was bound to her unconditionally.

I hadn't ever gone this long without seeing Nessie and it was making me anxious. When I stopped by the cottage after work to see her, Edward had only told me she wasn't feeling well. Of course, I freaked out and demanded to see her, and he finally explained that she had gotten her first period and had cramps.

_Damn_. Nessie was growing up. I knew this and had noticed the changes, but this was proof. Rather than dwell on the fact that she was maturing, my thoughts were more filled with worry. Poor kid, I hoped she was okay. I had sisters...I knew this wasn't an easy time.

If Nessie needed privacy, then I would give it to her. I wanted to give her whatever she needed, yet it kind of hurt my feelings that she wouldn't see me. Bella encouraged me to be patient. Still, I went to check on her several times and at night, I phased and slept in the woods, outside the cottage.

One day after work, I made Quil go with me to the drugstore and buy a card for Nessie. He wasn't much help, handing me a card that said, "Happy 6th Birthday!"

I rolled my eyes. "Keep looking," I insisted. "It has to be perfect."

When I found one that I thought she would like, we went to the flower shop.

"Flowers for your girlfriend?" the woman behind the counter guessed.

Quil laughed and I looked around the store awkwardly.

"Flowers for the most important person in my life," I replied.

The florist suggested roses, but I didn't think that was appropriate, so we settled on a combination of flowers. When I returned to the cottage, I felt sure that Nessie would see me if I was bringing gifts. It was a good excuse, right?

Edward met me at the door and shook his head. I groaned in frustration.

When Saturday arrived, I was positive Nessie would see me. For the last six years we'd spent almost every Saturday together. It was tradition. _Our _time together.

Bella answered the door and smiled.

"Hey, Jake."

"Hey, Bells. Is Nessie ready?"

"Ready?"

"It's Saturday," I reminded her.

She nodded in acknowledgement. "Um, yeah...I'll go see if she's awake."

Less than a minute later, Bella returned. She frowned with compassion. "Sorry, she's not going to be able to hang out today."

"Seriously?"

I wasn't angry with Nessie, but I was really upset at this fucked up situation.

"She's afraid you can _smell _her," Bella confessed.

"She smells _good_!" I replied.

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Hey, don't talk about how my daughter smells."

I sighed. "I didn't mean it like _that._ Anyway, you brought it up."

"Renesmee will be back to normal in a couple days. If it makes you feel any better, I think she misses you, too."

I scowled, but it _did_ make me feel better. "Tell her I said hello," I mumbled, turning to leave.

As soon as I reached the woods, I phased. Several members of the pack were in wolf form and their thoughts were full of excitement.

"_Jake, I finally imprinted!" _Seth announced.

"_Congratulations, man. Who is she?"_

"_Heather Rainwood. She's cousins with a family on the res and just moved to town. I saw her at the community center and boom, it just happened."_

"_He even has a date with her tomorrow!" _ Leah replied. She was happy for her brother, but there was jealousy, too. It was hard to see other pack members imprint when you hadn't found yours.

"_We're going hiking. Would you come with us Jake? Please? I'm too nervous to be around her by myself. I don't know what to say."_

"_You'll be okay, Seth,_" I assured him.

"_She only agreed to go because I said I would introduce her to people. Leah offered to go, but she'll embarrass me."_

"_Hey!"_ Leah snapped.

Reluctantly, I agreed. Maybe it would distract me from missing Nessie, but I doubted it.

For the remainder of the day, I ran to Canada and back, finally returning to the cottage after midnight. The lights were off and it seemed Nessie was asleep. Bella and Edward were stirring inside and when I realized they were being _intimate_, I was so repulsed, I headed back home. Nessie was safe and I couldn't stomach hearing my friend and her husband getting it on.

As a teenager, I was a raging case of hormones. When Nessie arrived, my libido disappeared. I honestly didn't even think of having sex and whenever I saw any women, their faces and figures were a blur. I only saw Nessie.

Whenever my thoughts wandered to my future, I refused to think about it. I wasn't looking forward to Nessie reaching maturity. An imprint had never rejected her mate, as far as I knew, but it would still be Nessie's choice. I, of course, didn't have a choice. I was bound to her forever. When she was older, would she even consider me in a romantic way?

No, I wouldn't think about it. Not until I absolutely had to face reality.

On Sunday morning, I met Seth outside the community center, which was next to the marina. Dad had left before I woke up to go fishing and as I spotted him on the dock, I waved hello.

"Thanks for coming," Seth greeted me with his usual bright smile. "I'm so nervous!"

I patted him on the shoulder. "Just be yourself and everything will be fine."

Heather arrived a few minutes later, another girl with her.

"Hi, Seth," she said as she approached, a shy smile on her face. "This is my friend Cindy."

"Hey," Seth replied. "This is _my_ friend Jacob."

Cindy wasn't shy like Heather. She raised her eyebrows and brushed her hair behind her shoulder. "You guys are so _tall_," she gushed, eyeing us over.

I thought I knew most of the people on the reservation, but there was always people coming and going. "Nice to meet you," I replied politely.

Seth looked at Heather. "Ready for a hike? We know some good trails in the park."

She nodded. "Sounds fun."

Glancing at Cindy's shoes, Seth asked, "Do you need to change your shoes first?"

I was barely paying attention, already bored, my thoughts on Nessie, but I looked down and noticed while Heather was wearing hiking boots, Cindy was wearing wedge sandals.

Heather grinned, but looked vaguely annoyed. "I told her to change, but she insisted on wearing them."

Cindy laughed. "I'll be fine. I was born wearing heels," she replied and then pretended to stumble forward. As she did, she steadied herself by reaching out and grabbing my arm. Heather and Seth laughed, too, but I didn't.

Glancing over my shoulder, I almost forgot to breathe. She was here. My _Nessie_!

Without a second thought, I instinctively began to run towards her.

"Nessie! I didn't know you'd be here!'

I pulled her into my arms, holding her tightly. Damn, I had missed her so much. Being near her again was like coming home.

"How are you, Jake?" Charlie greeted.

"Hey, Charlie, I'm good!" I replied. The last week had been hellish, but now that I was with Nessie again it was like we had never been apart.

I looked down at Nessie. Wow. There was something different about her. She looked really pretty.

Charlie knew about the pack, but he didn't know about imprinting. I wasn't afraid of telling him, but Edward and Bella still felt weird about it and wanted to keep it on a need to know basis. Plus, as far as supernatural things went, Charlie didn't want to know more than he had to know. Still, when Charlie mentioned me meeting a "nice girl" – it was such a foreign concept. Why would I need anyone but Nessie?

"Um, yeah," I replied. There was no way I was going hiking with some random girls now that was Nessie finally out from isolation.

"Well, I think I'd rather go fishing today. Dad, do you have space for one more?"

"You should go," Nessie spoke, and it stung like a slap in the face. She didn't want me here? I put an arm around her.

"Seth will be okay by himself."

"You can't just ditch your friend like that."

Why was Nessie acting this way? "Do you want to go with us?" I asked.

"No!" she immediately replied. It felt like a punch in the stomach. "Go have fun with your friends," she insisted.

"But, I haven't seen you all week," I mumbled, feeling vulnerable.

Seth appeared, and I felt anxiety radiating off him. He probably knew that with Nessie here she took priority over hiking.

"Ness, are you coming with us?" he asked.

"No, I'm going fishing. You guys have fun."

Nessie was being stubborn. For some reason, she didn't want to spend time with me. Was it still that time of month? Afraid that I could smell her? How could I explain that she didn't need to hide from me? I wanted to be with her no matter what.

"We'll hopefully bring back a good catch of fish for dinner," Charlie interrupted the silence. "Right, Billy?"

"Without a doubt," Dad replied.

I couldn't control myself. I reached out to Nessie and gave her another hug. I needed to touch her and needed to be near her. How could I tell her that without sounding like a creepy stalker?

To my surprise, she placed her hand on my cheek and showed me her thoughts. It was always a special connection we shared. I liked having her thoughts in my head. She showed me memories of receiving the flowers and laughing at the card. My heart leapt.

"You're welcome," I replied, feeling sort of shy around her for the first time ever.

Nessie's wish was my command. I didn't want to leave her, but if she wanted me to go with Seth, then I would. I said goodbye to my Dad and Charlie and felt a little nauseated as I walked away from Nessie.

I decided to drive to the park, to give Seth an opportunity to talk to Heather. Cindy sat beside me and talked non-stop for the entire drive. I nodded and occasionally replied with, "Oh?" Overall, I was irritated, not just because the girl was annoying, but because she wasn't Nessie. At least Seth was happy. He was hanging on every word Heather said and had a look of wonder on his face. I knew what that was like. To us, the person we imprinted on was the most fascinating person in the world.

Since hiking was just an excuse for Seth to get to know Heather, and Cindy was wearing fucking _sandals_, I led us to an easy trail. It was one that my first grade class visited on a field trip. The day passed by slowly and I barely said five words. Heather had thoughtfully packed sandwiches and drinks for us and we had a picnic. I tried to be a good friend to Seth and keep Cindy entertained, asking her a few questions, which made her talk even more.

As evening approached, I eyed Seth, letting him know I was ready to go home. He ignored me, so I finally had to speak up.

"It's been fun," I lied. "But, I need to get home to help my Dad." And see Nessie.

As we walked back to the car, I realized I was walking quickly because Cindy was several yards behind us. Obviously, her feet were hurting and she was having a hard time keeping up. I stopped to wait, allowing Seth and Heather to take the lead.

"Sorry," Cindy apologized. "Guess I should have worn boots."

_Duh,_ I thought silently. Nessie could go hiking in sandals because she was strong and fast. But, a regular human girl certainly couldn't.

Suddenly, Cindy stumbled forward, this time for real, and before I could reach her, she tripped to the ground. Grabbing her ankle, she yelled out in pain.

I kneeled down and took a look. There were no bones sticking out, but it could be sprained.

"Let me help you up," I offered. Cindy threw her arms around my neck and although I was going to help her walk, it looked like she wanted me to carry her.

"What the hell," I muttered, picking her up. At least we would get to the car faster.

Seth and Heather were worried when they saw Cindy. Heather was trained in first aid and upon checking out Cindy's ankle pronounced it to be a sprain. As we drove back to the reservation, Cindy wouldn't stop thanking me for "saving" her. Helping her to the car wasn't really a heroic act and I was confused about why she was making such a big deal.

As we returned to the community center, something caught my attention. Charlie's police cruiser was still in the parking lot, which meant Nessie was still out fishing. With excitement, I jumped out of the driver's side and rushed to help Cindy out of the car, so I could go to the docks and wait for Nessie to come back.

Cindy smiled and wrapped her arms around my neck.

"You're my hero," she murmured, batting her eyelashes.

I paused, feeling pretty stupid for finally realizing that Cindy was _flirting_ with me. I couldn't help smiling in response. This girl was crazy for thinking I'd ever be interested in her.

But, I didn't want to hurt her feelings. I was a nice guy.

"Sure, sure," I muttered, helping her out. As I helped her to Heather's car, to my shock, Charlie's car sped past us.

I passed Cindy off to Seth and rushed over to my Dad, who was wheeling himself down the dock.

"Charlie and Ness _left_?" I asked him.

Dad shrugged. "Yeah, they just helped me fillet the fish. Do you want to invite your friends to dinner?"

Damn, I can't believe I missed them. Did Nessie not see me when they drove by? Surely, she would have stopped and said hello.

"Charlie was called in to work," he added, seeing the pain on my face.

I sighed in relief. "Oh."

Reluctantly, I walked back to Seth, Heather and Cindy.

"You should call me sometime, Jake" Cindy offered boldly, in front of Seth and Heather, as he helped her in the car.

"Um," I froze, not knowing what to say. How could I explain Nessie? She was just..._Nessie_.

"I don't think his girlfriend would like that," Seth joked.

Cindy's eyes widened and she looked embarrassed.

As their car drove off, I jabbed Seth in the ribs. "I don't have a _girlfriend_."

Seth rolled his eyes. "So you want to go on a date with Cindy?"

"Of course not."

"Maybe she's not a _girlfriend_, but Ness _is_ the woman in your life."

"She's not a _woman_ and it's not like that."

"Dude, did you see her today? She's definitely growing up!"

I gave Seth a murderous glare and almost growled in response. "Don't talk about Nessie that way."

Seth held up his hands. "Sorry, Jake. But you know what I mean, right? You're _taken_."

I sighed. "Yeah, I am."

"Thanks for putting up with Cindy today. What did you think of Heather?"

Not that he needed my approval, but I think Seth wanted it because I was Alpha. I grinned.

"I like her."

He beamed. "She's awesome. I can't believe this is happening to me."

"You should talk to Sam. He might be able to explain things to you."

"Why can't you?" he asked.

Imprinting wasn't the same when you imprinted on a child. There was no physical attraction between me and Ness, but for Seth and Heather there definitely was.

"It's different for me and Quil."

Seth nodded. "Yeah, sorry. It must suck."

I immediately felt defensive. "It doesn't _suck_," I replied with annoyance. "It's_ complicated,_ that's all."

It wasn't fair to take my frustration out on Seth. I was just in a bad mood because I hadn't spent any quality time with Nessie in over a week.

"Dad is cooking dinner. Want to join us?" I asked.

He nodded. "Would love to, thanks!"

Once at my house, Seth helped my father fry the fish, but I collapsed on the sofa and pouted. I wanted to see Nessie. Why did it feel like the universe was keeping us apart? Or _Nessie_ for that matter? I needed a plan.

I barely ate dinner and Dad asked if something was wrong. I lied and said there wasn't. When we finished, I drove Seth home. He lived in a house with a few other members of the pack. They were playing video games in the living room and encouraged me to stay and hang out, but I made an excuse about having stuff to do and left.

I felt restless. All I wanted to do was see Nessie. But, I didn't want to overwhelm her. What could I do if she didn't want to see _me_? After a full of hour of internal debate, I decided that Nessie would have to initiate contact. Bella said she would return to her normal self in a couple days and I prayed to God she would.

My girl was driving me crazy.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Thanks to my pre-readers **GeezerWench **and **ShynaMends!**

Here's a chapter for the weekend. Enjoy!

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**Renesmee**

As soon as the boat reached open water, and I stared back at the shore, I felt silly for telling Jacob to hang out with his friends. Why did I insist he do something I didn't want him to do? Secretly, I hoped he would refuse to go. But, that was ridiculous. Jacob wasn't a mind reader like Daddy. I couldn't expect him to know when I said go, I really meant stay. I should have been selfish and let him come with us.

No. It was the right thing to do. Jacob had other friends than me and my family. I didn't need to always monopolize his time. Why did I think I had exclusive claim to Jacob? He was such a special person. Other people should be able to get to know him like I did. Well, not girls...definitely not _pretty_ girls. Although it made me want to growl like the half vampire that I was, at the thought of Jacob meeting a "nice girl," it was a wake up call that I didn't expect. Jacob was a man. He probably wanted to get married one day and have a family of his own. He needed a mate. How was he going to find one if he was always with me?

I began to feel nauseated. Maybe it was just due to the rocking of the boat in the waves, but my thoughts of Jacob made me feel strange and confused.

Grandpa Charlie noticed I was distracted and offered to teach me how to bait a line. I forced myself to seem interested and nodded in agreement.

I enjoyed spending time with Grandpa Charlie and Uncle Billy, but when we finally returned to the marina, I was happy to be back. I wondered what Jacob was doing, if he was having fun hiking and whether that girl was touching him.

We stayed to help fillet the fish and clean up the boat, and was about to head to Uncle Billy's for dinner when Grandpa Charlie got a phone call from the station, calling him in to work. I went ahead to the car to wait for him, while he made another phone call.

As I stretched out in the seat, in the side mirror, I saw a car enter the parking lot. Jacob's car! In my surprise and excitement, I almost got out to greet him, but as I looked out the rear window I saw that he was still with Seth and those _girls_. I watched as Jacob, with excitement on his face, went to the passenger door and helped the girl out of the car. She wrapped his arm around his neck and said something to him. For a moment, it felt like forever, they stared into one another's eyes while smiling.

I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. Quickly, I turned around in my seat and slumped down. Wow. That image was burned on my brain forever and it hurt bad. For all my self talk about knowing Jacob needed to find a mate, seeing him smile at that girl, in that way, made me feel psychotically jealous. He was _mine_.

Before I started crying, Grandpa Charlie got in the car.

"It looks like Jake just got back from hiking," he told me. "Want to say hello?"

I shook my head. "No, it's okay. I'll talk to him later."

Grandpa Charlie dropped me off at home and as Mom promised, everyone was there and they seemed to be waiting for me. Although I wanted to run to my room and cry, I hadn't seen my family in a week and they eagerly greeted me with hugs and kisses and even a high five (only from Uncle Emmett). I tried to be polite and talk to them all, but my thoughts were on Jacob and that girl. Was he with her now?

"Nessie, are you _scowling_?" Aunt Rosalie asked with amusement.

I wiped the expression off my face and forced a smile, but didn't give an explanation for my mood.

Uncle Emmett and Uncle Jasper wanted to play a family game of baseball, since there was a thunderstorm in the forecast. I agreed to go because I hoped it would be a distraction from my jealousy. After we gathered the gear and was running through the woods, my father reached out and took my hand, giving me the look he often did that said, _"Want to talk about it?"_

I adored my father, but for the first time I resented his ability to read my mind. My feelings about Jacob were too embarrassing.

"_Would it be possible to have some thought privacy?"_ I protected my request. _"I just need some space to work through how I'm feeling."_

Daddy smiled with understanding. I was thankful he didn't seem mad. "Sorry, darling, I can't block you out completely, but I'll try to focus on other thoughts. I've had decades of practice doing it because of living with your Uncle Emmett."

"Did someone say my name?" Uncle Emmett ran beside us and grinned, then in one swift move, picked me up and threw me over his shoulder.

"I'm not a little girl anymore," I protested, even though he had done the same thing a week ago.

"You'll always be _our _little girl," he replied, his grip tight. "Deal with it."

All I could do was laugh in response. I loved my crazy vampire family.

Playing baseball _was_ a good diversion, with Daddy being so fast and Uncle Emmett being so competitive. Everyone but Grandma cheated, even Mom and Grandpa. I was exhausted when we returned home.

After changing into my pajamas and washing my face, my parents tucked me into bed as usual. I already felt a little too old for this ritual, but didn't necessarily want it to stop, either.

"Peaks and pits?" Mom asked, sitting on the edge of the bed. It was a game we sometimes played where we asked each other about the best and worst moments of the day. Internally, I groaned. I knew what my pit was, but wasn't going to share that openly.

Daddy, sensing my reluctance, went first. "My peak was playing baseball with the family, but my pit was Emmett's team winning."

Mom laughed. "My peak was seeing Renesmee come out from _isolation_," she winked at me and I smirked. "And...well, I didn't have any pits today."

They looked at me expectantly. "Um...my peak was spending time with the people I love and my pit..." I paused. "Um...not being a full vampire because the day made me tired and I need to sleep."

"Is that a hint?" Mom joked.

"Maybe," I replied, leaning over to kiss her on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you, too."

I reached out and squeezed my father's hand. "Love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too."

They turned off the light and closed the door, but I didn't fall asleep for a long time, even though I _was _tired. Jacob, Jacob, Jacob. My thoughts and then my dreams were only of Jacob.

The next day, life returned to pre-period normal. In the morning I did my studies with Uncle Jasper and in the afternoon I had chores. My parents wanted to teach me "responsibility" and so I had to clean my room and tidy the rest of the cottage and then helped Grandpa with the laundry. All day I thought of Jacob, wondering if he was with that _girl_, wondering if he missed me at all. By early evening, I decided to call him.

I didn't have a cell phone of my own, but Mom gave me hers when I asked. His number was saved in her contacts list and I tapped on the screen to call it. I felt a little nervous as the phone rang.

"Hey Bella, what's up?" Jacob answered.

"Um, hi, it's Renesmee."

The line was silent. "_Nessie_." He seemed surprised it as me. "How are you?"

"I'm good. What are you doing?"

"Oh, just finishing up work."

I bit my bottom lip. Why was I feeling nervous? It was _Jacob_.

"I was calling to see if you had plans for tonight?"

Please say no. If he had another date, I would freak out. Before he could respond, I kept talking.

"We could order a pizza and watch a movie, maybe? That is, if you're not busy. If you are, I totally understand."

"I'm not busy. I'd love to come over."

I sighed with relief. "Great."

"I need to go home and clean up first, but that's all. Want me to pick up the pizza?"

"Sure. Thanks." They didn't really deliver to my house, since it was so secluded and on the outskirts of town.

"What would you like?"

"Whatever you want. I'm not picky."

"Okay, well...I'll see you in a little while."

"Bye, Jacob."

"Bye, Nessie."

Excitedly, I found Mom and returned her phone, telling her Jacob was coming over. I went back to the cottage and look through my closet for something to wear. I had never really thought about how I looked in front of Jacob, but for some reason I wanted to look nice for him. I decided on a feminine, ruffled silk-chiffon dress and flats. As much as Aunt Alice wanted me to wear heels, I was still reluctant. I liked fashion, but also liked comfort.

While I waited for Jacob at the main house, I tried to act casual, reading a book in the living room, while keeping my eyes on the front door. When the doorbell rang, I leapt up and raced to answer it.

As I looked up at Jacob and he smiled at me, I blushed.

"Hey," I greeted, opening the door wider. "Come on in."

"You look nice," he commented. "You Cullens are the best dressed people I know."

"Um, thanks," I replied, blushing again. "We can eat in the media room."

Mom and Daddy appeared and said hello, talking with Jacob while I gathered a couple plates, napkins and drinks for us. He then followed me down the hall and my parents disappeared. I was thankful to have some alone time with Jacob.

The media room held a large screen and there were cabinets along the walls with thousands of DVDs.

"What do you feel like watching?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Whatever you want."

I randomly picked one and put it in the DVD player. Then, I dimmed the lights, and sat beside Jacob on the sofa, the pizza box between us.

Jacob lifted up a slice. "Cheers," he said, and I laughed and picked up a slice and "clinked" it with his.

We ate in silence and I relaxed. Being with Jacob was easy. I had no reason to be nervous or weird around him. When we finished eating, I put the pizza box on the ground and scooted closer to Jacob. I snuggled underneath his arm that was stretched out on the back of the sofa and put a possessive arm around his waist. He stiffened, but then relaxed and held me close.

"I missed you," I confessed, then added, "I hope you had fun hiking."

"I missed you, too, Ness," he replied, rubbing my back. "Hiking was kind of boring. How was fishing?"

"Not that much fun without you."

He sighed. "Why didn't you let me come with you then?"

I closed my eyes and breathed in his scent. The heat radiating from his body made me feel safe and warm.

"I don't know," I mumbled. "Because I'm weird."

Jacob gently laughed. "You're _not _weird." He kissed the top of my head. "You're _wonderful_."

It was odd, but I kind of needed that assurance from Jacob. If he was starting to have _girls_ in his life, I needed to know that he still cared about me.

"Thanks," I replied. "I think you're wonderful, too."

We watched the rest of the movie and I wanted Jacob to spend the night, but he said he had to go on patrol. I held his hand as I walked him to the door and then waved to him as he drove away.

Over the next couple of weeks I saw Jacob almost every day. We went hunting with Mom, he brought lunch for me a few times, watched sports with Uncle Emmett. It almost seemed normal, but something felt off. There seemed to be a distance between us that there wasn't before. He would always tense when I hugged him and would only hold my hand for a few seconds before letting go. And we didn't spend any time alone, which was unusual.

One day, when my parents went to Seattle, I begged Aunt Rosalie to take me to visit Jacob's garage. I had never been there before and was anxious to see it. And cars and mechanical things was the one thing the two of them had in common. At least she would be vaguely curious to see what he was working on. She sighed and reluctantly agreed. We rarely ventured into town, for fear someone would recognize our family from years past, but out of everyone, Aunt Rosalie hated having to hide. She would take the risk when others would not.

We drove to Forks in a BMW that she had recently restored. She drove fast, just like my father and Aunt Alice did, but slowed down as we entered the town. As we approached, Jacob was out front, talking to a girl. He was smiling and laughing, then leaned down and kissed the girl on the cheek.

I gasped. Utter devastation shot through me. Aunt Rosalie followed my line of site and then her eyes widened and she glared.

"Lying dog," she muttered.

So this was the reason Jacob wouldn't really talk to me. He was hiding a _girlfriend._

Jacob swooped the girl up in a bear hug, as he had done with me so many times, and I felt like I was going to faint. It was too much.

Without having to ask her, Aunt Rosalie turned the car around and headed back home.

As soon as we arrived, I ran to the cottage, closed the door to my bedroom and collapsed on the floor. I cried and cried and cried. I had never been so upset.

I had lost Jacob.

He had a girlfriend now. It was a different girl from the one I saw with him before, but still...It wasn't fair. I finally recognized my strange feelings. I wanted Jacob to be with me. I wanted to be his girlfriend. I wanted him to be happy, but only if that happiness was with _me_. I knew I was young, but why couldn't he wait for me? I was maturing fast. I could be his girlfriend...one day, if he'd have me. I could be the one to make him happy.

Self-doubt flooded my mind. Jacob would never want to be with me in that way. Quielites only married Quielites or at least other Native Americans. And I was a half-vampire, his tribe's mortal enemy. It would never work. My family wouldn't accept it and neither would his.

As the tears dried up, a sense of resignation and resolve came over me. Jacob had been by my side for my entire life. It was now time to let him go.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Thanks to** GeezerWench **and** ShynaMends** for very helpful pre-reading!**  
**

* * *

**Renesmee**

There was a knock at the door.

"It's Aunt Rosalie, can I come in?"

"Okay," I mumbled, pulling the covers over my head. She sat on the bed, next to me.

"Want to talk about it?" she asked.

I groaned. "I'm so embarrassed."

She waited patiently for me to continue. I peeked out from the covers.

"I have a _crush _on Jacob, okay?" I confessed, and then pulled them back over my head.

"A _crush_, huh?" Aunt Rosalie replied, evenly, but there was a tenor of disbelief in her voice.

"Don't be mad," I replied, "I know you don't like him."

Aunt Rosalie pulled the covers down, revealing my face, and put a hand on my cheek. "Darling, I could never be mad at you," she said. "I was as surprised as you were seeing him with that girl. I'm sorry if that hurt you."

"Please don't tell Mom or Daddy," I begged. "It would be even more embarrassing if they knew."

"Knew that you have a crush on Jacob or that we saw him with a girl at his garage?"

"Both."

"Doesn't Edward already know about the crush?" she asked.

"I asked him for _thought_ privacy...so I'm not sure what he's picked up."

"Your father is really good at respecting the privacy of others. Even if he knows, he wouldn't try to embarrass you. How long have you had a crush on Jacob?"

I shrugged. "I don't know...not too long. Maybe it's not even a crush. My feelings are so strange. My body and mind are developing so rapidly..." Fresh tears sprung in my eyes.

Aunt Rosalie held my hand as I cried.

"I think I need to leave Forks," I sobbed. "Get away from this _confusion_."

Jacob's new name was confusion.

"I know it's difficult, darling, but you can't run from your problems."

"Please, Aunt Rosalie. Will you help me? Couldn't we go on vacation? I can't think clearly here."

And I really couldn't bear to see Jacob being affectionate with this new girl. Would he try to introduce her to us? I would die.

"Hmmm," she murmured. "Perhaps."

"We could go to Africa," I suggested. "Don't you and Uncle Emmett love to visit?"

The two of us talked travel plans and I charmed my way into her agreeing to at least talk to Mom and Daddy with me about it. When they returned home, we met them at the door and spent the next hour sharing our ideas. I was genuinely excited and tried to guard my thoughts from wandering to Jacob.

My parents weren't opposed to traveling, but seemed a little surprised.

"If this is what you want, Renesmee, it's a good time to do it," Mom responded. "Should we invite Jacob to go with us?"

I couldn't hold back a gasp. "No!" I exclaimed.

Aunt Rosalie covered for me. "As much as I love the mutt," she said sarcastically, "He has his garage and the pack. He couldn't be gone for such an extended time."

"I just want it to be a family thing," I added.

Mom looked like she was going to cry. "You're growing up so quickly," she whispered.

Daddy wrapped his arm around Mom's shoulders. "Let's talk to the others and see what they think."

We had a Cullen family meeting that night and everyone was excited about the trip. They had remained in Forks for almost ten years and needed a break. I also suggested Mom and Daddy take another honeymoon, since my conception kind of messed up their first one. Everyone laughed.

"Not a bad idea, love," Daddy looked at Mom with tenderness. She smiled warmly.

Daddy was anxious to start the trip as soon as possible, so within a couple of days, our plans were settled. Although Jacob hadn't come by the house, he did call. It was rare to not see him every day, but not entirely unusual. I figured he was spending time with the _girl _and it drove me crazy with jealousy and only confirmed the feeling that I was doing the right thing. But, I avoided telling Jacob about traveling until I saw him in person.

On the day we were leaving, Jacob stopped by the house in the morning, and I asked him to take a walk with me. Suddenly, I felt overwhelmed with emotion. I already felt how much I was going to miss him.

"Are you okay?" he asked, noticing that I was wiping away a tear.

I nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Is it PMS?"

Jacob was often straightforward. I liked that.

"No," I replied, with a small smile. "Let's sit down. We need to talk."

Warily, he took my hand and led me to sit on a log. "Okay. What's up?"

I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes and felt like we were the only two people on earth. Before I knew what was happening, I leaned over and pressed my lips against his.

I _kissed_ Jacob.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Over the last few days I've been reading a lot of fics about the wolf pack and imprinting and now I feel intimidated about sharing my story. I mean, there are some AMAZING fics out there that put mine to shame! So...I kind of begrudgingly continue to share mine with you...feeling kind of silly compared to the awesomeness of others, but we're already 10 chapters in, so I guess I'll keep going...

Thanks to **GeezerWench** and **ShynaMends** for pre-reading/cheerleading.

* * *

**Jacob**

My first thought was - _Wow, her lips are so soft and warm._

My second thought was - _Edward is going to kill me._

Although we hadn't had an official conversation about my relationship with Nessie, I knew Edward wasn't comfortable with it. Part of me didn't care what he thought. Edward was always overprotective and controlling with Bella, so I knew he would be the same way with his daughter. He needed to chill out. But, at the same time, I wanted to show respect to him as Nessie's _father_. I didn't expect to feel this way…so _traditional, _but Nessie _adored_ Edward. They were very, very close and because of that I tried to make an effort to guard my ever-confusing thoughts about Nessie growing up.

Nessie wasn't a little girl anymore. She was still young, but she was also becoming a woman. I had definitely started to notice and it was making me uncomfortable. For the last couple of weeks, I had been watching her with almost new eyes. Her laugh, her smile, her hair, her kindness...it was all very _appealing_. I didn't know how to handle it, so I avoided being alone with her.

And now Nessie had _kissed _me. I was shocked.

"I love you," she whispered, burying her face in my chest.

I struggled to catch my breath, but I held her tight. "I love you, too, Ness. I always have and I always will."

She pushed me back, gently, and I saw there were tears in her eyes. Why had she kissed me and why was she so upset?

"Why are you crying?" I asked, wiping away a tear that had fallen down her cheek. It caused me physical pain to see her upset.

"I'll miss you."

Panic started to build in my chest. "Are you going somewhere?"

She nodded and stepped back. "My family and I are going on a trip. We'll be back at Christmas."

My heart started to pound. "That's six months away!"

"This is a good thing," she replied, shaking her head as though she was disagreeing with me. "You've neglected your own life. With us gone, you'll have more time to devote to…other things."

Other things? What the fuck was she talking about? _You are my life! _I screamed silently. I didn't know if Nessie was ready for any declarations from me. Hell, I didn't know if I was ready for it myself. But, she couldn't _leave_ me!

My mind was swirling and I thought I was going to faint. I was on the brink of phasing. I couldn't handle these surging emotions in human form. Turning, I started running away from Nessie, so I wouldn't hurt her, and exploded into wolf form.

When I immediately returned to the spot in the woods, she was already gone.

I needed to calm down before I talked to Nessie again. It seemed too soon to explain imprinting to her. I wanted her to choose me, when the time came, not force her to be with me because of it. One minute she was a moody little teenager and the next minute her lips were on mine and feelings began to stir within me that I never felt before. It felt like glorious whiplash.

Quil was on patrol and heard my thoughts.

"_She kissed you? Awesome."_

"_Shut up, Quil. It wasn't like that." _

"_Wasn't it, though?"_

"_Ugh, hell, I don't know!"_

"_Do you need to talk about it?"_

"_No."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_No."_

Quil returned to human form long enough to call Sam. Within a few minutes, he had phased and was communicating with us. The two of them talked me down out of my hysteria. I was seriously considering kidnapping Nessie and bringing her to the res. I couldn't let her leave me for six months. Being the oldest, Sam spoke with wisdom that the pack valued. He was a peacekeeper.

"_Go and talk to Edward and Bella. They're reasonable, right? They stayed in Forks all these years because of you. They aren't going to keep you from seeing her." _

It took a couple of hours, but when I was finally back into a rational state of mind, I returned to human form, changed into a fresh pair of clothes, and ran to the cottage.

Bella met me at the door and she looked a little sad.

"Renesmee isn't here," she told me.

"She already left?" I was very close to freaking out again. The idea of Nessie far away from me was excruciating. Not only because I would miss her, but because I wouldn't be near enough to protect her. The world was a dangerous place. I couldn't let anything happen to her. My very own survival depended on it.

"How could you do this to me, Bella?" I shouted. "You know how I feel about her! Where is she?"

Edward joined us, standing next to Bella. He gave me a warning look. "She's with Carlisle and Esme, flying to England."

"Did she leave so soon because of the kiss?" I demanded. "She initiated it. I've always been a gentleman with her, you know that, Edward!"

Apparently neither Edward or Bella knew about the kiss because they both replied with tense, surprised expressions on their faces. Glancing at each other, it seemed like Bella was warning Edward to calm down.

Fuck. My eyes were getting all watery. I thought I was going to hyperventilate. "Please don't send her away from me...we belong together."

Edward sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I'm very aware of your…_attachment_…to Renesmee, but she's still a child Jacob. This trip is for her own good and for yours too."

My mind raced. Ah, so that's why Nessie said I was neglecting my own life….that her leaving was a _good _thing. He'd brainwashed her. Edward was trying to protect Nessie from me by separating us. It strangely reminded me of when Edward left Bella because he thought it was for her "own good." Both of them almost ended up dead.

Hearing my thoughts loud and clear, Edward growled in response. Bella's eyes widened and she wrapped her arms around her husband...to protect him from me.

"Jake, it was Renesmee who asked to go on this trip. We support it, yes, but it was her idea to leave."

I took a step back out of shock. "What?" It couldn't be true, but Bella wouldn't lie to me.

Grief overwhelmed me. "Why would she do that?"

Bella shrugged. "Renesmee is curious about life. She's maturing and wants to experience things outside of Forks."

My stomach lurched. I wasn't enough for her. Life outside of Forks was something that I couldn't offer Nessie. As much as I wanted to give her the world, I couldn't. I didn't have the wealth and resources the Cullens did.

The tension in Edward's face softened. "She won't be gone forever. She'll be back by Christmas."

If Nessie wanted to travel, I couldn't deny her that. As much as _I_ wanted her with me, my needs didn't matter. But, the fact that she intentionally chose to leave me hurt like hell, even if she did say she would miss me. She still _left_.

.

No members of the pack had ever been separated from their imprint. I didn't know what I was going to do without her.

Only taking a few steps away from the door of the cottage, I phased, ripping my clothes to shreds. The pain I felt reminded me vaguely of when I phased for months before Bella got married. But, this time it was so much worse.

I ran to Canada and didn't stop until the weather prevented me from going further. The stabbing ache I felt wouldn't go away. I returned to the reservation, my responsibility as Alpha summoned me, but I remained in wolf form. My brothers in the pack tried to talk to me, but I ignored them.

The first week without seeing Nessie, I felt a dull ache all over my body that wouldn't go away. As the days passed, the ache increased into sharp, stabbing pain. I stopped eating, I couldn't sleep. I would visit the cottage often, hoping to catch remains of Nessie's scent, but it had long faded away, of course. All of the Cullens had left town and I realized other than going to England with the doctor and his wife, I didn't know where else in the world Nessie was traveling.

At night, I would howl at the moon, begging her to return to me. I was a complete and total mess without my Nessie.

After two months of solitude, I finally agreed to return to human form when Paul came to speak to me.

"_Rachel just had the baby," _my brother-in-law exclaimed with excitement. _"Please come home. Just for a few hours. We want you to meet the little guy."_

I grunted and followed him. Although I didn't want to, I had an obligation to my family to meet my new nephew. When I reached the edge of the property, Paul nodded towards a pair of shorts. I phased and put them on. They were at least two sizes too small. I guess I had lost weight, since I hadn't been eating.

In human form, the pain I felt from missing Nessie only increased. I groaned and stumbled in the house. As I passed by a mirror, I almost laughed at my appearance. There were dark circles under my eyes, my hair was long and shaggy and there was even stubble on my face. I knew I needed to clean up before I saw Rachel and the baby.

Dad rolled into the hallway. "Jake!" he exclaimed with excitement, then paused. "Son, you look like _hell._"

I just grunted in response.

He reached out his hand to pull me down to hug him and as I did, I started crying. Like a fucking baby. Not because I missed him, although I did, but because I missed Nessie. I was incomplete without her.

"It's okay, son. It's okay."

I jerked back and wiped the tears that were blurring my vision. "Sorry," I apologized. "Got anything to eat?" I wasn't hungry, but it was the only thing I could think of to distract from the fact that I was embarrassed about my tears.

Dad smiled carefully. "Sure, son. I'll fix you something."

As we walked into the kitchen, I collapsed into a chair and put my head in my hands.

"There's some mail for you," Dad called out, opening the fridge and pulling out various items.

When I remained still, he continued. "Really, I think you'll be interested."

Finally, I raised my head and looked at the pile in front of me.

The kitchen table was covered in postcards. I picked one up. Then another, and another. There were more than sixty. They were all from Nessie.

She had written to me every day for the last two months.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **SO SORRY if you received multiple chapter alerts from Ch. 10! Entirely my fault. I thought it wasn't posting properly, so I kept reposting. Whoops! Really, I'm sorry for the annoyance.

Thanks for the encouragement about the story and writing. I guess I was feeling emo. :) Also, thanks to** GeezerWench** and **ShynaMends** for their pre-reading awesomeness.

Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Renesmee**

_Jacob. _My thoughts were filled with _Jacob _as I watched the Seattle skyline disappear until there were only white clouds surrounding the private plane that Grandpa and Grandma had chartered for our flight to England. I wasn't nervous about flying for the first time, but my stomach was in knots because I was worried about Jacob.

I knew he was upset that I was leaving and instead of explaining how I was feeling and why I had to go, I was a coward and left him alone in the woods. It was immature of me to run away like this, instead of facing reality. I knew I would have to accept it eventually because I wasn't going to entirely walk away from our friendship. But, by leaving, I was giving him space. He deserved it. He needed it. Everything had been about me, me, me for my entire life. It wasn't fair to Jacob that I monopolized his time. I always noticed how happy he was when he was with the pack and other Quileutes. He deserved to be happy.

I hoped that by the time I returned, my crush on him would have disappeared, and I could be around Jacob and his girlfriend without thinking of any violently jealous thoughts.

London was our first destination. We checked into The Lanesborough Hotel and stayed in the Royal Suite, which had amazing views of Buckingham Palace. Over the next several days, we went to Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, and Piccadilly Circus. There was shopping at Harrords and afternoon tea at the Ritz. We spent hours and hours at the National Gallery. Since Grandpa was originally from England and had lived for so long and was so brilliant, I had my own personal tour guide to tell me so many interesting stories about all of the places we visited.

The next week, we left London. Grandpa rented a car and we drove into the countryside, visiting Stonehenge and then Stratford-upon-Avon, the hometown of Shakespeare. Grandma got just as excited as I did when we went to visit the Jane Austen Center in Bath.

I missed Jacob desperately and wrote him a postcard every day. I knew he didn't have my address, since I was traveling, but I didn't want him to forget me entirely while I was away. I missed my parents, too. They were on their second honeymoon, but weren't gone too long. To my delight, they surprised me by joining us when we went to Scotland.

We toured Edinburgh and saw a bunch of different castles. We went to Loch Ness I was surprised at how beautiful it was. Mom took a photo of me by a sign at the Loch Ness Monster Visitation Centre and I asked her to send it to everyone in family, since it was a private joke we shared about my name. I wanted her to send it to Jacob, too, but was too embarrassed to mention his name. He probably didn't care, anyway, even though he was supposedly the one who nicknamed me Nessie.

Our next destination was Ireland. We stopped in Dublin, first, and I was impressed with how vibrant and energetic the city felt. Mom and Daddy wanted to do a U2 tour, so we stopped at all the band's historical landmarks and even stayed in the Clarence Hotel, but we didn't see Bono, unfortunately.

After a tour of the countryside, breathtaking castles, and villages and gardens, Grandpa and Grandma left to do some traveling on their own, while Mom, Daddy and I flew to Paris (on yet another private jet), to join Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper. We checked into Hotel George V and were once again given the Royal Suite. I made a comment about staying in such luxurious hotels and Daddy responded by saying I was his princess, so of course we were staying in royal suites.

Aunt Alice was more than excited to see us. Paris was her favorite city because of the fashion and I could understand why. Everyone we saw at the hotel or in the streets at sidewalk cafes looked so sophisticated. Jacob would have made a joke that they were hoity toity, silly snobs with their _I'm better than you_ French attitudes. I loved it, though. I was finally able to practice my French with real French speaking people. To me, everyone we encountered was really nice.

For almost an entire week, Aunt Alice took us all shopping every day, getting our clothes specifically tailored to our dimensions. Dresses, hats, purses, shoes...I wondered how we would get all our purchases back to America. Aunt Alice would seriously need to charter her own jet just for transport.

Daddy said Aunt Alice would want to shop the entire time we were in the country, but there was definitely more to see. Mom had never been to Paris before, either, so we excitedly planned the museums and cathedrals we wanted to visit. We spent a few days at The Louvre and Daddy even let me wander around by myself. I knew he was watching my every move, but at least he gave me space. I was thrilled.

Paris at night had to be the most romantic place in the world. When the Eifflel Tower was lit up in lights at night it took my breath away. Instead of being happy, though, I felt distraught. I wanted Jacob to be here with me, holding my hand, making me smile. But, he wasn't mine anymore and I had to just _deal _with that.

After a couple weeks in Paris, I began to feel rather grumpy. It wasn't because of my period. Surprisingly, my last two cycles weren't that painful and I wasn't too embarrassed to go out in public. I was just cranky because I was in the City of Love and I was alone. Mom and Daddy and Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper were all in such good moods, though, so I tried to keep my bad attitude to myself.

Noticing that I was tired and irritable, Uncle Jasper had an idea of renting a villa in the countryside. We could escape the bustle of the city and return to the more slower pace of life that I was used to living. It was a really good idea. Aunt Alice found us the perfect place, a villa with a security fence surrounding it. There was a large meadow in the back of the property, surrounded by trees.

We had picnics together, with my family covering themselves with large umbrellas and tents, of course, to block the sun, and we had long conversations about life together. I felt like my parents and aunt and uncle were starting to treat me more as an equal. Aunt Alice shared the story of her life before she became a vampire and even Uncle Jasper shared some of his past, but I don't think he shared all the details because they were too grim. It was perfect quality time with my family that I loved so much.

I also had time alone to myself on the grounds. I was able to enjoy the sun, but Daddy insisted I wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen, just as a precaution. There was a long trail that circled the property and I found an old bicycle in the garage that I could ride. It was peaceful and relaxing. I was enjoying myself, but I wasn't able to stay that I was truly happy. I still missed Jacob. We'd never ever spent this much time away from each other. It had almost been two entire months since I said goodbye. I knew I could easily call him on the phone, but I thought that would make me miss him more. I continued to send him a postcard every day, telling him what we were doing and the fun we were having. I would sign every one of them, _"Wish you were here. Miss you. Love, Ness."_

After a couple weeks of rest, Mom and Daddy surprised me again. Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett appeared out of no where and announced we were going to Africa. I squealed with delight. I knew exaclty what that meant...hunting! Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper remained with us, instead of returning home. I think they were excited to have the opportunity to hunt larger game, too.

Traveling in Africa was different than in Europe. The constant sunshine and cloudless skies definitely paralyzed us from going anywhere in the day. We flew to Kenya and then drove several hours into the bush and arrived at a compound that the family purchased years ago. It had all the Cullen conveniences we were used to, but it was secluded and very private.

From sunset to dawn, in the jungle we tracked lions, buffalo, elephant, leopards and rhinos. We didn't always go in for the kill, Uncle Emmett liked to play with his food, and sometimes we just observed the animals. It was the best zoological education anyone could ever receive. We also went white water rafting, since everyone in the family liked adventure sports, and mountain biking in the bush.

I couldn't believe my parents were letting me do so many "dangerous" things, but I also knew I was surrounded by six vampires who would do anything to protect me. In a way, it was a false sense of freedom, but I think my parents were trying to _ease_ me into maturity, for my benefit and for theirs, too. One night, Mom randomly kissed my forehead and whispered, "It's so hard to see my little girl grow up."

As the weeks passed by in Kenya, I was beyond exhausted. There was too much fun and excitement for one human/vampire hybrid to experience. I missed Jacob every day, but wasn't able to write him any postcards because we were so deep in the jungle. I thought about him constantly. What was he doing? Who was he with? Was he happy?

The last surprise of our trip was when Mom and Daddy told me our final destination would be a place I'd heard about all my life. It was where my parents went on their honeymoon and conceived me. We were going to Isle Esme!

Grandpa and Grandma joined us all in Rio de Janeiro. We spent a day touring the city, then took a boat ride to the island. Isle Esme took my breath away. It was beyond beautiful. It was the very definition of tropical paradise.

"Family vacation!" Uncle Emmett screamed out, as we reached the dock and I laughed.

It pleased me so much that my entire family was all together. I wished Jacob was with us, he was practically a family member anyway. I almost asked Daddy if Jacob could fly down to join us, but decided against it. I would see him soon enough. He was probably enjoying not having to babysit me all the time.

With the island being so secluded, my vampire family could truly be themselves. One morning we played touch football on the beach and they sparkled brilliantly in the sun. Even though I knew them all so well, the sight of them sparkling was overwhelmingly beautiful. We went swimming, hiking, jet skiing, soaked up the warmth of the sun. It was the perfect family vacation with lots of laughter and affection. _How did I get so lucky to be born into such an extraordinary family? _I wondered.

After a month or so, Grandpa and Grandma left, followed by Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper and then finally Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett. My parents and I remained on the island for another six weeks. We talked a lot about my future and goals I wanted to accomplish. Daddy wanted me to have as many "human" experiences as possible. He wanted me to have a "normal" life. On television, I had seen shows where the family had a pet. I asked if we could get a dog and Mom laughed and said I already had Jacob, teasing me about the childhood games I used to play with him. I blushed.

After six months away from Forks, we finally returned on a snowy December morning. It was only a few weeks before Christmas. I was happy to be home and anxious to see Jacob. I felt a little nervous, since it had been so long since I had seen him, but I was pretty sure my silly crush on him had gone away.

"Renesmee, would you mind if we go by Grandpa Charlie's before we go home?' Mom asked, as we entered the city limits.

I shook my head. "I'd love to see him. I've missed him."

When we arrived at Grandpa Charlie's house, Daddy parked the car in the driveway and opened the doors for us, like he always did. He was an old fashioned gentleman that way. As we walked to the house, I wondered when I would be able to see Jacob. Should I call him? Would he be too busy to see me?

The front door opened and I looked up and there was a crowd of people at the bottom of the stairs.

"Surprise!" they called out.

I stepped back, smiling, but in shock. I reached out my hand towards my father.

"_What's going on?" _I asked, projecting my thoughts.

"It's a welcome back party for you," he whispered.

"_For me?"_

He nodded and kissed me on the cheek.

Grandpa Charlie was the first to greet me with a hug, then Grandma Sue, Seth, Claire, Leah, Sam, Quil, Embry...the entire pack, really. I greeted everyone individually and almost everyone commented on how grown up I looked. Emily was in the background, arranging food and she waved and smiled. As I turned to greet Uncle Billy, I scanned the room wondering if Jacob was there. If he wasn't, I would be devastated. Yet, if he was here with his _girlfriend_, that would destroy me, too. Yes, I was over my crush, but I didn't want his relationship to be thrown in front of my face, either.

I leaned down to give Uncle Billy a hug and when I stood up, there he was. My Jacob.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. Time stopped and it was just the two of us. But, I didn't feel nervous like I expected to be. As he pulled me in his arms for a hug, I felt as if I'd finally come home.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **Thanks to** GeezerWench** for her suggestions!

* * *

**Jacob**

Nessie was coming home.

Would she look different? Had she missed me?

I didn't know the answers to those questions, but I was sure of one thing. I wouldn't tell her how miserable I had been since she left. I wouldn't tell her about the sleepless nights or how I couldn't eat or the unbearable pain that was gnawing at me constantly. It had been pure torture to live life without her. Every day, every minute, had been a struggle. At times, I even worried about my mental health.

When I returned from my exile and read her postcards, seeing all the exciting places she was visiting, I remembered that Nessie had told me I had neglected my own life. I wondered whether she was subconsciously trying to tell me something. Maybe Nessie _needed _me to grow up? What did I really have to show for my life anyway? I still lived at home, even though my dad was fully capable of taking care of himself, I only half-heartedly devoted myself to work at the garage, my bank account was embarrassingly low. Yes, I had matured and was no longer a teenager, but I supposed that I was still living like one.

I wanted to make Nessie proud of me. I began to focus all the pain and longing for her into being productive. Over the next four months, I revitalized my business, upgrading tools and courting new clients. I asked the tribal council permission to build a house, and with the help of the pack, built a log cabin on the edge of the reservation. Emily helped me decorate it and then I went shopping for clothes for the first time in years. I even started volunteering at the community center a few evenings a week, helping out with various events.

Being busy wasn't a distraction from missing Nessie, though. I felt incomplete. I spent a lot of hours analyzing my feelings for her. I had no idea if our relationship would develop into a romantic one. When she kissed me, I didn't feel attracted to her. I was more shocked than anything. It seemed impossible for me to ever want to love her the way a man loves a woman. Of course, I thought she was beautiful and wonderful and completely fascinating in every way, but I wanted to be her protector and companion...nothing more.

It was my idea to throw Nessie a welcome home party. I wanted to show her how much we all loved and missed her. The pack was more than happy to participate. Although I had been productive, I certainly hadn't been in the greatest mood during the past few months and they were almost as eager to see Nessie return as I was. Plus, there would be free food.

Charlie offered to be the host, since Edward and Bella weren't welcome on the reservation, and we usually celebrated special events at his house anyway. I was a nervous wreck leading up to the day of her arrival. I was unsure of how I would react when I saw Nessie again, so I hid behind the crowd, near the stairs.

The door opened and there she was. My _Nessie_.

Damn. She looked good. Really good. _Too_ good. It had been six months, two days and seventeen hours since I'd last seen her.

Nessie was so beautiful she took my breath away. I gasped and my hand went to my chest as I commanded my heart to beat normally. I was speechless for a moment as I drank her in. Her hair, her lips, her eyes...her body. Perfection. She was no longer a child, she was a full grown woman.

My own body responded to her perfection. Every part of me noticed. And I mean _every_ part. I groaned. It had been more than seven years since _that_ happened. I couldn't greet Nessie with a full grown erection, so I went upstairs to the bathroom and locked the door. Instead of relieving myself, I turned my thoughts towards less arousing subjects and tried desperately to get my shit together.

Thankfully, I was able to get my hormones under control and return to the party. I waved at Edward and Bella, who were talking to Charlie, and they waved back. Surprisingly, Edward didn't look like he wanted to murder me. When Bella winked, I knew she was shielding my thoughts. I sighed in relief.

Being a foot taller than most people in the room allowed me to easily spot Nessie. Just as she was saying hello to my dad, she looked up at me with surprise on her face. The pain I had been feeling while she had been gone completely vanished. Happiness and love for her overwhelmed me. I couldn't resist pulling her into my arms. I needed to touch her. I needed her close to me.

"I missed you," I greeted, squeezing her tightly in a bear hug, breathing in her scent. She smelled _so good_.

"I missed you, too."

Oh, God. I was going to get another erection if I held her for a second longer. Reluctantly, I set Nessie down and mumbled the first thing that came to my mind.

"I got all your postcards," I said. "Thanks up keeping me updated about your adventures. I can't wait to hear all about it."

"Food's ready," a voice called out, and a rush of bodies separated me and Nessie as they headed towards the kitchen. She stepped back to let them pass and looked around the room. She seemed anxious until she saw her parents talking to Charlie.

I had to be alone with her. Too many people were in this house and she was _mine_.

"Want to go outside for a minute?" I asked.

She nodded, but then seemed unsure.

"Um...are you here _alone_?" she asked, as we walked towards the backdoor.

I was utterly confused. "What do you mean? You're here, my dad is here, the whole pack is here..."

"I mean, did you bring a _date_?"

What the hell was she talking about? I started to laugh when I realized she was making a joke. "A date to your welcome back party? _Right_...you're still hilarious, Ness."

We walked to the edge of the backyard, then followed a trail into the woods. A few yards away, with the house still in sight, there was a bench on the trail. We sat down, with me on one end and her on the other. I was afraid that if I was too close, I wouldn't be able to take my hands off her. I wanted to run my fingers through her long hair, kiss her lips, feel her body against mine. I was _shocked _by the new emotions and desires flooding through me.

"You look really..._grown up," _I commented, looking her over. "How do you feel?"

I was overwhelmed at how different Nessie seemed. Emotionally and mentally she had developed into a woman, just as her body had. There were no traces of childhood or adolescence left. She was _all _woman.

"I'm really happy to be home and to see you," she admitted openly, and my heart leapt. She was happy to see me! "Physically I don't feel so awkward anymore, if that makes sense. It's been probably three months since I stopped growing. Edward says I've fully developed."

I almost blushed. I had definitely noticed how her breasts had developed...and I was desperately trying to be a gentleman and not stare.

"Um, _Edward_?" I mumbled, noticing she had called her father by his first name.

She gave an embarrassed smile. "Oh, when we were traveling, I couldn't really call him _Daddy_ in public since we look the same age, you know? I still call him that privately, but in public I guess it's become a habit."

I returned the smile. "Bella always called her parents by their first names."

"She did? I'm not surprised. Bel...I mean, _Mom_ is really independent. I wish I could be like that."

"You can't?"

"With an overprotective vampire family? Good luck."

Instinctively, I stretched out my arm along the back of the bench. She also had an overprotective werewolf obsessed with her..._me_. To my surprise, Nessie inched closer to me until she was snuggled under the crook of my arm. I looked down at her and smiled.

Six months away from each other hadn't lessened the connection we shared. In fact, it seemed more intense...and on a totally new level. I had been always been fascinated by every word she said, but now we were equals. No, she was definitely my superior. So beautiful, so smart, so perfect.

"They're trying to loosen up," she continued, "I mean, while we were traveling I had _some_ freedom. We went lion hunting in Africa...I can't wait to show you the pictures...And they're letting me go to high school. Not by myself, of course, but..."

"You're moving?" I interrupted, my entire body becoming rigid. She wasn't going to leave me again. Ever. I would kidnap her before that happened.

She nodded. "To Port Townsend. Not too far...only a couple hours across the park. Mom wants to stay near Grandpa Charlie."

I relaxed. Port Townsend was only a few towns away from Port Angeles...and even closer if I ran through the park. I sensed she was anxious and wanted my approval.

"Wow, Nessie is going to _high school_. Are you excited?"

She shrugged. "My father wants me to have _human_ experiences. I guess high school is as human as it gets. I'm only going for one semester, though. Next fall, I want to go to college."

When Nessie spoke, she sounded so mature. She really had grown up and I was in awe.

"_College_," I repeated. "Have you decided on a school?"

"Grandpa wants to me to go Harvard. Daddy wants me to go to Dartmouth, Mom wants me to go to Brown..."

"Where do _you _want to go?" I insisted. Nessie was always considering others before herself.

"To the University of Washington in Seattle," she answered immediately.

"Then that is where you should go," I replied.

"Hopefully, I will. It just depends on some things..."

"Don't worry about being accepted. You're a genius."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, but I was being serious.

"Renesmee, are you ready to eat?" Bella called out to the woods from the back porch.

My stomach growled. I was suddenly starving. I hadn't been able to eat a full meal since Nessie left.

She stood up. "I _am_ a little hungry."

"Me, too," I agreed, patting my stomach. To my surprise, Nessie threw her arms around me and gave me another hug until she was practically sitting in my lap.

"It's so good to see you, Jacob," she murmured, nestling her face in the crook of my neck. Then, she leaned back and looked into my eyes.

Our faces were only inches apart. It didn't feel awkward. It felt natural and completely comfortable. But, butterflies of excitement filled my stomach. Being so close to her, after being so far away for so long, seemed to have a profound effect on me.

"Will you come over to the house later tonight?" she asked, her breathing shakey. "I have some presents for you and I want to tell you more about the trip."

Why was she nervous? It felt so good to hold her, to have her near me. I knew at that moment, things had irrevocably changed between us.

I felt too overwhelmed to reply with anything less than complete honesty.

"I'm completely yours."

She smiled, jumped off my lap and then I watched her run into the house.

I now saw Nessie in an entirely new way. Not as the beautiful, sweet little girl I would protect to the end of my days with my very own life. I loved Nessie like a man loves a woman. Would she, _could _she, ever love me that way?


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Thanks to** ShynaMends **and** GeezerWench**, pre-readers extraordinaire!

* * *

**Renesmee**

It made me so happy to see Jacob. How had I gone an entire six months without hearing his laugh or looking into his dark brown eyes? I felt silly for not at least calling him while I was away.

The party was fun. I ate delicious food prepared by Emily, caught up on all the local news from Uncle Billy and Grandpa Charlie, and even had a long conversation with Seth's new girlfriend. I was surprised that she seemed to already know all our "secrets." It must be a very, very serious relationship if Seth had shared such things with her.

I began to feel anxious, as I wondered if Jacob had told his girlfriend about our secrets, too. Did she know Jacob was a werewolf? Did she know I was a hybrid? I didn't like the idea that I didn't even know this girl's name and yet she knew everything about me. But, I definitely wasn't going to volunteer to meet her, either. I would pretend like she didn't exist.

My parents and I left the party a couple hours after it began. I hadn't had a chance to speak to Jacob again, so many other people seemed to want to talk to me, but he stood by my side in silence for the entire party. I was glad he agreed to come by the house later that night. As we said goodbye to everyone, Jacob walked us to the car. Daddy shook his hand and Mom gave him a hug. It seemed like they had missed him, too, which made me happy.

Jacob didn't hug me goodbye, but he opened the car door for me and stood in the driveway waving until we disappeared down the street.

When we arrived at home, my grandparents and aunts and uncles were all waiting for us. We greeted one another with hugs and kisses, and there was lively conversation about our remaining days on Isle Esme and the surprise party thrown for me at Grandpa Charlie's house.

My family's boundless energy always amazed me, but I reminded myself I didn't have to compete with vampires. I was half human and it was okay if I got sleepy. I yawned and excused myself, heading towards the cottage. I wanted to take a nap in my own bed.

It was dark when I awoke and I was afraid I'd overslept, but when I looked at my watch I was thankful to see that it was still early in the evening. I didn't know when Jacob would arrive, but I was already way too excited to see him again. With a renewed sense of energy, I showered and then looked for something special to wear. Nothing seemed perfect, so instead of letting myself become upset, I pulled on black leggings and a simple black dress. Aunt Alice always told me if I didn't know what to wear, black was always elegant.

The air was cold and damp as I left the cottage, reminding me that the weather in the Northwest was much different from a tropical island in South America. I didn't mind, though. I was happy to be home.

Walking into the living room, Aunt Alice greeted me with a gray cardigan. "It's Lanvin!" she gushed with excitement. "Remember?"

I smiled, "Yes, I remember." In Paris, we had spent hours at the Lanvin boutique.

Mom passed by and Aunt Alice smiled. "If only your mother was as fashion conscious as you, Renesmee."

Mom rolled her eyes. "I let you dress me every day and I never complain."

"But, you don't _love_ it," Aunt Alice protested.

"No, I don't," Mom replied with a laugh.

Aunt Alice turned to me. "Ness, I'm going through all the clothes we bought in Europe and organizing your wardrobe for when you start high school. Want to join me?"

"Oh, I would, but Jacob is supposed to come over tonight..."

Her eyes went blank and then she nodded. "My vision is cloudy, so he must be nearby. Do you mind if I continue without you?"

"I can't believe you're asking," I joked.

She smiled wryly. "I was trying to be polite. I'll give you final approval, of course. Let's make a date to discuss it tomorrow."

"Thanks."

The doorbell rang and I jumped. With my senses, I wasn't easily surprised. But, I was anxious. I hoped it was Jacob.

Grandpa was answering the door when I went to check and my stomach flipped with happiness. Jacob! I resisted the urge to run and jump into his arms like I did when I was a little girl. I was overwhelmed by how handsome he looked. He had changed clothes from earlier in the day. Before he had been wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Now he was wearing khakis and a blue sweater.

"You look nice, Jacob," I greeted cautiously. Had he just come from seeing _her_? Was he dressed up because he had been on a date?

He looked at me and shook his head like he was waking up from a dream. "No, Ness. _You_ look nice. _Beautiful_. Wow."

I shrugged, but was secretly pleased. I wanted to look nice for Jacob and I'm glad he approved. He kissed me on the cheek and I blushed. Inwardly, I groaned. This was the first time I blushed since I'd seen him, but I hoped it wouldn't continue to happen as often as it used to.

"We have lots of presents for you," I said, leading him down the hall. "Mom, Daddy, Jacob's here!"

They appeared in a flash, joined at the hip like they always were.

"Jacob, good to see you again so soon," Mom greeted warmly. "Darling, I put all of his presents and our photo albums in the library. I also started a nice fire, since it's so cold. Why don't you two hang out in there?"

"You're not joining us?" I asked, surprised.

"We're going hunting," Daddy explained. "We'll be back in a few hours."

"Oh." For the last six months my parents and I had been constantly together. I began to feel a little separation anxiety, but as I looked up at Jacob, I felt safe and calm.

I hugged and kissed my parents goodbye and Jacob and I walked up the stairs to the library. The lights were dim and the fire blazed. It almost looked _romantic_ and I immediately imagined what it would be like to kiss Jacob again. We had shared a kiss once before, but I was the one who initiated and it happened so quickly. I blushed once again. Jacob would never have _romantic _feelings for me. How silly to hope for such a thing.

We sat on the sofa and I glanced at him. "Gifts first," I announced, handing him a dozen little items I had picked up for him during my travels, giving a short explanation about each one. Jacob had a huge smile on his face the entire time.

"All of these gifts are so thoughtful, thank you Nessie."

I sighed. "I'm glad. I wasn't sure if you would like them."

"I would cherish anything you give me."

I picked up a photo album. "Now, will you indulge me in a few hours of conversation detailing every aspect of my trip?" It was an exaggeration, but I always wanted to tell Jacob everything...except for how I felt about him.

He nodded eagerly and sat up. "Can't wait!"

Jacob looked so sincere that I laughed and slapped him playfully on the arm.

"I was just kidding. It won't take _hours._"

He smiled. "I really do want to hear every detail about the trip."

I shook my head. "You're always way too good to me. Okay, I'll give you the highlights and will try not to be too boring."

"Nessie, you could _never_ be boring."

I laughed and opened the first page of the photo album. "Whatever," I mumbled.

Slipping off my flats, I curled up on the sofa and put the album in my lap. I patted the space beside me.

"Come sit closer, so you can see."

Jacob nodded and moved over. With caution, he put his arm around me and I smiled up at him, and leaned back against his chest. I began thumbing through the pages.

"Our first stop was in _London._..."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Thanks to** ShynaMends **and** GeezerWench **for making this story better!

Also, thanks to all of you who are reading! You're the best!

* * *

**Jacob**

"Hey, I have this picture," I pointed to the one of Nessie at the Loch Ness Monster Centre.

"Mom emailed it to you?" Nessie asked, surprised.

I nodded.

"I'm glad she did. I thought it was funny, since you were the one who nicknamed me Nessie. Didn't Mom freak out when she was a newborn and thought you were calling me the Loch Ness Monster?"

I laughed. "Yeah, she did."

Nessie shifted her body against mine, as she reached to pick up another photo album. When we came into the library, finally _alone_ together, I was a little nervous. I wondered if it would feel awkward being so close to her and being so _attracted_ to her. This was a whole new aspect to my relationship with Nessie that I hadn't had to deal with before. But, being with her felt so natural and right. It seemed perfectly normal for her to be practically sitting in my lap. Although I noticed the curves of her body and how good she smelled, I didn't let it distract me. I really _did_ want to hear about her trip. While she was gone, every day I wondered what she was doing. Now, I would be able to find out.

The photos she showed me told the story of a young girl becoming a woman. There were subtle changes in her appearance and it wasn't just because her clothes or location. Her cheeks became more defined, her hair grew longer, her breasts became even larger...Okay, I wasn't going to dwell on those sort of things right now. I was a gentleman. At least, I hoped I could be.

Nessie told stories of all the places she visited in the UK and France. She held her hand against mine and also showed me, projecting her thoughts into my mind, her favorite memories. Damn, I had missed this. I loved Nessie being inside my brain.

I became a upset when I saw the dangerous animals in Africa she encountered and then grew a little sad because she had done all these amazing things and I wasn't there by her side. To be honest, I grew a little intimidated as she continued to show me photos and tell me stories. Nessie had lived a glamorous life for the last six months. She'd seen the world. And the world was hers for the taking since she was a Cullen. They were practically billionaires.

After being exposed to all that, how could she ever be happy living with me on the reservation? The realization struck me. Yes, more than anything I've ever wanted before, I wanted Nessie to be with me, live with me, share my home. Nessie being there would make it _our _home.

But all the things I'd accomplished while she was gone now seemed silly. Trivial compared to world travel and all the advantages that being a Cullen would encompass.

My time with Nessie passed way too quickly. When she tried to hide a yawn, I glanced over at the clock on the wall and saw that it was past midnight. Nessie yawned again.

"Sorry, I guess I'm more tired from traveling than I thought."

"I understand. I can walk you home if you'd like."

Nessie laid her head against my chest and I heard her sigh. "Can we stay here for just a little bit longer?"

"Sure, Ness."

Continuing to hold her, I shifted to lean against the edge of the sofa, She snuggled even closer and stretched out her legs. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

Now that she was back with me, here beside me, I couldn't let my worries take control. I was content right now to just be with her. Bliss had another name. It was _Renesmee_.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Thanks to** GeezerWench **and **ShynaMends**, my awesome pre-readers!

* * *

**Renesmee**

When I woke up, I didn't know where I was. But, I felt warm and safe and there were strong arms holding me tightly. I sat up slowly, wiped my eyes, and looked around the room.

Jacob was beside me, smiling. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

My eyes widened. "It's _morning_? I can't believe I fell asleep! And you _stayed_? I'm so sorry!"

He continued to smile. "I didn't mind. You're really cute when you sleep."

I jumped up and laughed awkwardly. "I doubt it. Do you have time for breakfast before work? I could make you something."

"You cook now?" he asked, impressed.

"Not really," I replied with a shrug. "Mom taught me a few things while we were on Isle Esme."

I reached down and grabbed his hand and tried to pull him up. "Come on, big guy."

He didn't move an inch, despite my vampire strength. I was confused at first because I was able to pin down six hundred pound lions, so I should be able to at least pull Jacob up a little. When he grinned, I realized he was trying to pull _me_ down to him and we were caught in some sort of tug of war. Was Jacob _flirting _with me? No, he couldn't be.

"Suit yourself," I laughed, and let go of his hand.

I walked towards the door and I heard Jacob quickly jump off the sofa and follow after me. Jacob was walking so closely behind me I could feel his warm breath on my neck. I paused at the top of the stairs, trying to get my bearings. I wasn't still sleepy, I felt dizzy with desire.

I felt Jacob press his body against me and he placed his hand on my waist. I trembled at his touch. He leaned his head down and kissed me on the cheek, then moved his mouth to my ear.

"I missed you so much," he whispered softly. "Don't leave me again."

Suddenly, Uncle Jasper was walking up the stairs and Jacob stepped away.

"Morning," he greeted, with an amused look on his face.

I blushed more deeply than I ever had in my entire life. If Uncle Jasper saw the exchange, then _Daddy _could have seen it and I knew he would have an opinion about it. Of course, he probably already knew I spent the night in Jacob's arms. I talked to my father about almost everything...why did I not want to discuss Jacob with him?

I stumbled down the stairs and wasn't surprised to see Daddy sitting at the counter in the kitchen. I greeted him with a kiss on the cheek, as I always did, but cautiously.

"Your mother has been shielding me from hearing everyone's thoughts since we arrived back in Forks," he spoke quickly. "Are you going to tell me why?"

I placed my hand on his, showing him a memory of talking to Jacob in the library and waking up in his arms. He immediately tensed and I realized he hadn't known. Wow, I would have to thank my mom later for giving us privacy.

"Morning, Edward," Jacob greeted, joining us in the kitchen and sitting on a stool.

There was a sense of tension in the air as they looked at each other. "So, would you like pancakes or an omelet? Or both?"

Jacob laughed. "I'll eat whatever you cook for me."

I decided that he would probably like both, so I started to quickly prepare breakfast. Daddy and Jacob chatted with each other about our trip, but I knew there was an element of awkwardness to it all. They were trying too hard to be polite.

Daddy stayed while we ate, which was unusual, and Jacob praised my cooking, acting as if my chocolate chip pancakes and cheddar cheese omelets were the best he ever had.

"I have to get to the garage, we've had a lot of work lately," Jacob was apolgetic as he picked up his plate. He took it to the sink and turned on the water to begin washing it. It was such a considerate gesture, I smiled.

I turned off the water. "I can do that," I protested.

"Oh," he looked as though he didn't realize what he was doing. "Thanks, Ness."

He wiped his hands on a towel and glanced at my father, who appeared to be reading the newspaper, and then back at me. It was as if he wanted to say something, but didn't.

"I'll walk you to the door," I offered. I didn't want Jacob to leave, but I knew had to go. A lot had probably happened in his life while I was away.

I placed my hand on his hand, projecting my thoughts.

"_Sorry we didn't get a chance to talk about you last night. When will I see you again?"_

He leaned down and kissed me on the cheek.

"Soon," he whispered.

I almost forgot to breathe, but Jacob squeezed my hand, then slowly jogged to his motorcycle. I watched as he put on his helmet, waved at me, and sped down the driveway.

I turned around, feeling all weird inside, wondering if I should have a emotion therapy session with Uncle Jasper to understand how I was feeling. I looked up and my father was leaning against the staircase.

"No more sleepovers, Renesmee. I know you're becoming a woman and Jacob is a..._friend_...but for my sake, please don't do it again."

"For _your _sake?"

Daddy pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're my daughter. No matter how many years pass, you'll always be my baby. It's hard for me to see you mature in this way...to see you falling in love."

I gasped. "I'm not falling in love. It's not like that with me and Jacob."

Daddy raised an eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

"No! I mean...yes, I _did_ have a crush on him when I was younger...and I _do_ love him, but we could _never _be together...he doesn't think of me that way..."

He sighed. "I apologize, darling. I don't want to interfere with this area of your life. I want to respect your privacy. But, if you do need to talk about it, I'm here for you."

"Thanks, Daddy."

He gave me a hug. "Your mother and I are going with Grandpa and Grandma to look at houses in Port Townsend. Want to come with us?"

I considered it. I hoped to see Jacob again today and didn't want to be too far away. And I was rather tired of traveling.

"I think I'd rather just hang out at home," I replied.

He squeezed my shoulder. "Enjoy your day. Your aunts and uncles will be here if you need anything."

Back at the cottage, I took a long bath, changed into a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, and pulled my long hair into a bun at the top of my head. It felt good to be at home, in my own bedroom. I looked at the photos on my nightstand. I picked up the one of me and Jacob and sat on my bed.

In the picture, I was a toddler and I was sitting on his lap. We were both laughing and had huge smiles on our faces.

Being with Jacob never felt weird, but looking at this picture I felt a little confused. He had been a life long companion and friend, and _now_...I was thinking of him in a new way. Would he always see me as the little girl in the photo like my father did? In the hallway he certainly didn't touch me like he ever had before...if Uncle Jasper hadn't interrupted us, what would have happened? Would he have kissed me?

No. Jacob has a _girlfriend_, I reminded myself. Or at the very least, he was dating. Jacob was a man. I was inexperienced, but even I understood that he had to have _needs_. Me going away was probably the best thing that ever happened to him. Now that I was back, I couldn't mess things up. As much as I wanted to be with him, I couldn't monopolize his time. He might feel obligated to see me, so I had to be strong.

I had to set boundaries.

I needed to be busy to not be distracted or disheartened by thoughts of Jacob. There wasn't any point of unpacking from the trip, since we would be moving soon. And for once, I didn't feel like being alone, so I jogged back to the main house to look for Aunt Alice.

She was in her bedroom and surrounded by racks and racks of clothes.

"I knew you'd be here!" she called out. I laughed. Of course she did.

"Are these all the clothes we bought in Paris?" I asked, shocked at how many there were.

"There are more downstairs. I'm sorting through these first."

Considering our family wore most outfits only once, it was sufficient to say that I had 180 days worth of clothes in this room. Aunt Alice showed me the outfits she had styled so far and I wondered if Jacob would like them or not. When I was younger, every morning there had been a fashion show and Jacob had clapped along with everyone while I paraded around the living room. I smiled at that memory. There was no way I was going to do that kind of thing now, of course. But, I did value his opinion. When would I get to see him again?


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Thanks to **ShynaMends **and **GeezerWench **- they are the bestest pre-readers ever!

* * *

**Jacob**

As soon as I got to the garage, the guys teased me because of my clothes. I had worn them to impress Nessie and was happy she noticed. I told the guys to shut up and looked at the list of repairs needing to be done today. I was the lead mechanic and had to be there, but searched for the repairs that were absolutely necessary. If I could swing it, I would be walking out of the garage and back to my Nessie in less than an hour.

Just as I was about finished installing Mrs. Atero's radiator, a black Mercedes with tinted windows pulled up on the street. It belonged to the Cullens and my heart leapt in my chest. Was Nessie coming to visit me at the garage?

I quickly wiped my hands on a rag and approached the car. A window rolled down and I saw that it was Carlisle.

"Is Nessie okay?" I asked, worriedly.

"She's fine, Jacob," he smiled warmly. "Edward and Bella would like to talk to you privately. Do you have a moment?"

I nodded. "Where are they?"

"Charlie's house. He's at work, but they're waiting for you there. It's the only private place nearby, other than the forest."

"Okay, I'll be right there."

I told Seth I was stepping out for a moment and jumped on my motorcycle and headed towards Charlie's house.

Edward, Bella and I were finally going to have the long awaited _conversation_ about me and Nessie.

Other than during the days following Nessie's birth, the three of us had never had a discussion about imprinting. But, they understood what it meant. Edward could read my mind. He knew the depth of my unconditional love and commitment to Nessie. I was accepted as part of the family and allowed almost complete access to her. Now that she had reached her full physical maturity things were different. As my imprint, it was instinctual for me to become whatever Nessie needed. I had been a playmate, friend, confidant, but her needs were developing. Although I wasn't sure if she was ready for it just yet, I knew she was on the cusp of needing a companion and lover. Nessie needed a _mate_.

I expected that it would be difficult for Edward and Bella to transition to this phase of imprinting. While it felt completely natural for me, it was also kind of jarring. My libido had been shut down for the last seven years. Nessie returns from being away and desire for her begins to consume me. My body felt electrified and when she touched me, it was hard to control myself. I was disappointed that I had a weak moment in the hallway, after she had woken up that morning. I shouldn't have been so _familiar _with her, but I couldn't resist. I had to be near her and touch her at all times.

"Thanks for coming, Jake," Bella greeted as she opened the door.

I nodded. "No problem. I wanted to talk to you and Edward, but wasn't sure when we'd have the chance to do it privately."

She smiled. "Yeah, well, I hope this conversation doesn't get _too_ awkward."

Edward was waiting in the living room and Bella sat next to him, while I sat in a chair across from them. I had to admit, I felt a little nervous. It wasn't just Bella and Edward. These were the parents of the woman I loved.

"Just to let you know, I've been shielding your thoughts from Edward."

I had suspected Bella was doing this, and thankful for it. I nodded in response.

"I won't always do this, but for now...while everything is sorted out, I think you and Renesmee deserve a bit of privacy."

Edward frowned. "It's for my benefit, too. It's very, very difficult for me to see Renesmee becoming a woman."

"She'll always be your little girl," I replied. "I get that."

"We wanted to talk to you about the _future_," Bella explained. "Renesmee told you we were moving, didn't she?"

"Yes." My stomach tightened. Had their intended location changed? "To Port Townsend, right?"

Edward nodded. "We'll only be there for six months. We want Renesmee to experience high school, but mentally and emotionally we believe she's ready for college. In the fall, our entire family will be moving to New Hampshire."

"Nessie said she wanted to go to college in _Seattle_," I challenged.

"We want her to go to an Ivy League school where she'll be intellectually challenged. Dartmouth is a good choice for her."

"_She_ should make the choice, not you."

Bella was watching our exchange closely and intervened before Edward and I started arguing with one another. "Renesmee doesn't really care where she goes to school, Jake. I think she only wants to stay in Seattle so that she can be near you."

"Is that so wrong?" I sighed.

She smiled. "No. But, it's why we wanted to talk to you. We'd like to invite you to move with us to New Hampshire."

I almost gasped. I didn't expect this kind of offer.

"We know how much pain you were in being separated from our daughter."

I looked down at my hands and wanted to make an excuse that it wasn't so bad. But, it was. It was unbearably painful.

"My human memories haven't all remained, but I do remember what it was like being separated from Edward..."

Edward sighed. "And I remember what it was like to be apart from Bella. I wouldn't wish that kind of pain on anyone, even you, Jacob." He smiled, letting me know he was teasing, and the tension lifted, slightly.

"We do want Renesmee to choose where she wants to attend college," Bella said, looking at Edward, apparently not completely set on Dartmouth. "But it's time we leave Washington. The family has been here much too long. And since we're not going to leave Renesmee all by herself, we have to do what's best for the entire family."

"We would provide everything you need," Edward added. "Even pay for your education if you want to pursue it."

I frowned. "I don't need your money."

"You don't have to decide now," Bella explained. "But, please think about our offer. We're moving this summer and we'd like to you to come with us."

"Have you told Nessie about this?"

"No, we haven't mentioned it. If you were completely against the idea, we didn't want to get her hopes up."

"I'll definitely think about it," I replied. Without a doubt I would be wherever Nessie was, but I secretly hoped she would choose to stay in Seattle.

There was an awkward silence and we stared at one another. Bella looked at her watch.

"Well, we should get going. We're going to Port Townsend to check out houses."

I was surprised they hadn't brought up the fact that Nessie was a woman now. Didn't they know everything had changed between us? If not, I had to acknowledge it.

"Wait. There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Sure, what is it?"

"Things have changed between Nessie and I. I love her in a different way now."

Edward cringed and Bella's eyes widened.

"I would like your blessing to pursue Nessie romantically."

Bella gasped Edward's hand and he closed his eyes. Both of them seemed to be in shock.

"We trust you, Jake. We know that you love her and would do anything to protect her. Really, I couldn't think of a better person she could end up with..."

"Thanks, Bells," I interrupted.

"But, Renesmee is too young, Jake. She's not ready for that kind of relationship."

"I think she is," I replied softly. I wasn't going to argue with Bella and Edward about this. They were her parents. Of course, they'd feel weird about it.

Edward finally opened his eyes. He spoke very carefully. "I don't care if you've imprinted on my daughter or not. If you lay an inappropriate hand on her, I will end you."

Bella sighed. "Edward," she admonished. "Calm down."

"I don't want to just hook up with Nessie. I want to _marry_ her."

"Jacob, we're not against things developing between you and Renesmee, but it's too soon. Trust us. We know her better than you, even though you probably find that hard to believe."

Edward remained silent and glared at me. Bella continued to speak for the both of them.

"Please, don't tell her you've imprinted on her."

I frowned. "Why? She deserves to know."

"She deserves to have a choice. Do you want her to love you because she feels obligated?"

I hadn't thought about it like that. Of course I wanted her to be with me because she loved me. Not because she felt like she had no choice.

"We want her to choose you. In my heart, I think she will. But, knowing her, I'm afraid she'll feel pressured if you tell her about the imprint. She already loves you, but if that love is changing into a different kind of love, she needs to discover that on her own...without any expectations looming over her."

I sighed. "You're completely right."

"If she doesn't choose you, what will you do?" Edward asked quietly.

It pained me to think that Nessie wouldn't want me, but I knew even if she rejected me, I would always be there for her.

"I would accept her decision," I replied. "I would continue to take care of her and protect her in whatever way I can."

Bella leaned forward and put a hand on my knee. "Jake, believe me, we're not trying to stand in the way. We just want what's best for Renesmee...and for you."

"So, if she chooses to be with me, I have your blessing?"

"Yes."

"But, you're also saying that Nessie isn't ready to be in a romantic relationship."

"Not yet, no."

"When, then? How can you judge when her heart is ready? "

Edward seemed to relax. At least, he stopped glaring at me.

"Renesmee has been very protected her whole life," Edward spoke. "I'm thankful for it, but during our trip, we realized she needs exposure to regular human life. We think high school will be a good experience for her. She'll have to mature in ways that only real life will teach her." He looked at Bella and she nodded. "When she graduates in June, you have our blessing to pursue her. If she isn't interested in dating you, you should respect that and back off. But, whatever happens, do not tell her about imprinting until she tells you that she loves you."

I didn't particularly like Edward telling me what to do, but in this case, I knew he was looking out for Nessie's best interests. Waiting until she was really ready and having the blessing of her parents was the honorable thing to do.

"Okay."

"Okay?" Bella repeated.

"Okay."

Edward seemed relieved. "I'd also like to add that friends don't have sleepovers. No more of that."

"Obviously," I muttered.

I was happy to have Nessie back in my life, but pretending that I was only interested in being her friend and nothing more was going to be as frustrating as hell.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: **Sorry for holding this story hostage! Lots of changes happening in my life that prevented me from giving this story the attention it deserved. I'm also going to be doing a bit of rewriting, but hopefully I will resume posting regularly. Thanks so much for reading! Also, thanks to **GeezerWench** for pre-reading this chapter.

* * *

Recap: _Jacob and Renesmee's relationship changes as Renesmee begins maturing into a young woman. She became convinced that he needed to have his own life apart from her (and she needed to get over her confusing crush on him) and spent six months away from Forks, touring the world with her family. Now that she has returned, fully matured physically, Jacob is adjusting to new feelings for Renesmee. _ _Bella and Edward do not want Renesmee to know she is Jacob's imprint and have asked that Jacob wait until she graduates high school to tell her._

* * *

**Renesmee**

It was my first day of school. My entire family, plus Jacob, had come to our Port Townsend house to wish me luck.

"Are you nervous?" Uncle Emmett asked.

I glanced at Jacob. "A little."

He smiled at me and I instantly felt better.

Since returning to Forks, Jacob and I had returned to being the best of friends. He hung out with my family often and even joined us for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. For New Year's Eve, the tribe had a special party, but Jacob didn't invite me. I was utterly devastated, but didn't let it show. I wasn't completely surprised, though. He hadn't introduced me to his girlfriend yet, hadn't even talked about her at all. Jacob seemed guarded, as if he was hiding something from me. I didn't like it, but wasn't going to straight out ask to meet his girlfriend. I wanted to avoid that meeting for as long as I could.

Jacob helped us move to Port Townsend. The two of us walked around downtown and had dinner at a pizza place. I asked him what high school was like and he gave me a lot of good advice. We had a marathon of "high school" movies to prepare me for "drama" as Jacob put it. We watched Mean Girls, Heathers, The Breakfast Club, and Clueless. I always had so much fun with Jacob, I hoped that he would continue to hang out with me, even though he lived a few hours away.

The "story" that we were telling people in Port Townsend was that Daddy and I were twins that were adopted by Dr. and Mrs. Cullen. Mom was Bella Masen, their foster daughter. Grandpa would be temporarily working at a hospital in Seattle. Aunt Rosalie, Uncle Emmett, Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper would be splitting their time between Forks and Port Townsend and would be known as family friends.

"It's a big day for Mom, too," I reminded everyone. While the family had been to high school and college dozens of times, since she had become a vampire Mom had been at home taking care of me. It was also her official introduction to living amongst humans.

"Are _you _nervous?" I asked her.

She laughed. "A little."

It was time to leave and I gave everyone a hug and kiss. Jacob was the last person to say goodbye. My stomach filled with butterflies as he pulled me into a hug, lifting me off the ground so my feet were dangling. He barely touched me anymore, so I squeezed him tightly, enjoying the moment.

"I'll stay in town until you get home from school, if you want," he offered, setting me down.

My eyes brightened. "Would you?"

"Sure, I want to hear all about your first day of school."

I stood up on my tiptoes and put my hands on his shoulders to pull him down so I could kiss him on the cheek. "You're the best. Thanks!"

Grandpa drove Mom, Daddy and I to the school and walked us to the office to check us in. High school already seemed kind of scary. People were watching us with curiosity and whispering. I had been warned that as vampires, even as a hybrid, we were attractive to humans. But, their protective instincts would also kick in and they wouldn't bother us. Mom told me I could make friends, if I wanted to, but to not be too disappointed if people were afraid to approach me. It was kind of funny to me that my parents and I looked the same age now. When I looked at them, I saw _Mom_ and _Daddy_, but I knew others just saw three young adults. Even if I didn't make new friends, I knew I would have my parents to hang out with, and I was thankful for that.

We received our schedules and I wasn't entirely surprised that either Mom or Daddy were in all of my classes. Uncle Jasper probably hacked into the school database. I should have been annoyed, but the crowds of people looking at me was already overwhelming, so I was glad they would be close.

My first class was English with Mom. The teacher introduced us to the class as new students and some kids laughed when they heard my name. I blushed because of the attention and Mom looked sad. It was an unusual name...I wasn't ashamed of it and I didn't want Mom to feel bad for coming up with it. As we went to our seats, I subtly brushed my hand up against hers and projected my thoughts.

"_I like my name, Mom. Who cares if they laugh?"_

I was excited to learn, but disappointed that none of the subject matter was new to me. In fact, it was kind of boring. The next three classes were the same way. I figured that I was in high school to experience the social aspect rather than the educational part. As the bell rang, signaling lunch time, I turned to a girl sitting next to me and introduced myself.

"Hi, I'm Renesmee. My friends call me Nessie."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, hi! I'm Natalie. How's your first day going?"

"Pretty good. I'm happy to be here."

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Really? I'm just ready to graduate. Wow, it must suck to have to transfer your senior year. Do you miss your friends?"

I nodded. "Yes, but we keep in touch."

Two other girls joined and Natalie introduced me. "Nessie, this is Amber and Sarah."

"Ooooh, I love your shoes," Amber gushed.

"Thanks."

"Your hair is so pretty," Sarah added.

"Um, thanks," I replied.

I felt a hand on my elbow.

"Ness? Ready for lunch?"

The girls looked like they were close to drooling as they gazed up at my father.

"Hey, this is my brother Edward. Edward, this is Natalie, Amber and Sarah..."

He began pulling me away before I finished.

Amber jumped in front of us. "Why don't you two eat lunch at our table?"

She looked at my father like she wanted to have _him_ for lunch. It made me feel weird, reminding me of how the waitress oogled Jacob when we went out to dinner once. He was just _Daddy_...why would she be looking at him like that?

"No, thank you," my father replied coldly. "We're eating with my _girlfriend_."

She pouted and I tried to smooth over his rudeness.

"Maybe another time?"

As we walked to the cafeteria, I glanced up at my father.

"What was that about?" I whispered.

"You don't want to be friends with those girls," he replied, tersely.

"But, why?"

Mom appeared and slipped her hand into Daddy's. He didn't reply to my question until we had gone through the line, gotten our trays, and found a seat in the corner of the cafeteria.

"Why?" I repeated. "They seemed nice."

"You can't read their thoughts," he replied. "Those weren't so nice."

"Oh. _Mean Girls_?" I asked, remembering the movie Jacob and I watched.

"Something like that," he mumbled.

Mom intervened. "Do you want me to shield him?" nudging him playfully in the ribs. "I will if you want me to."

"No, Bella, you're not," he commanded, glaring at her.

My parents were never cross with each other. I hated that it was because of me.

I put my hand on my father's hand. _"I trust you, Daddy, but you can't protect me all the time. No one is perfect."_

"I'm not going to let these children hurt you," he whispered.

I tried to change the topic of conversation. "_Bella_, are you enjoying your first day of school?"

She gave a fake smile. "Loving it!" she answered with exaggerated excitement. "How about you, Ness?"

I laughed and decided to be honest. "It's kind of boring. The classes aren't very challenging."

"Well, you're a genius like your father," she winked. "Of course, they aren't."

I glanced at Daddy and he was glaring at a group of boys sitting at a table across the cafeteria. I kicked him under table, getting his attention.

I raised my eyebrows. "Why are you giving those guys a death glare?"

"They're talking about you," he explained matter of factly. "...and Bella."

"They don't like us?" I asked, feeling my face rush with warmth.

His face formed into a scowl. "They like you, alright...too much."

Intellectually, I understood that as vampires we were attractive. Everyone in my family was beautiful. But, I hadn't expected this kind of reaction.

"Vile, perverted thoughts..." Daddy mumbled under his breath.

Mom sighed. "I think we're going to need to shield you, love..."

"I'm fine," my father protested.

"You're two seconds away from flying across the room and attacking those boys. I wouldn't describe that as _fine_."

"I'll be good."

My parents stared at one another and were communicating in a way that I didn't completely understand. Mom was probably shielding and forcing him to listen to her. After a full minute, his face softened.

"I'm sorry, sweetie," he whispered to me, so low humans couldn't hear. "I'll relax."

"Thanks, Edward," I replied. He didn't really like me calling him Edward, even though we were supposed to in public, but I smiled and he smiled back.

My afternoon classes were just as boring, but several people talked to me and neither Daddy or Mom intervened. Most people seemed to ignore my parents unless I made a point of introducing them. I guess being half human made me more approachable.

Grandpa picked us up from school and everyone, including Jacob, was waiting for us when we returned home.

"I want to hear every detail!" Aunt Rosalie gushed, taking my hand, leading me into the living room.

"It was good," I glanced at Jacob and smiled. He winked.

"And?" Uncle Emmett asked.

"Edward almost massacred a table of boys who were oogling Renesmee," Mom shared with a laugh.

Uncle Emmett flexed his muscles. "_Almost_? Let's do this."

"The classes weren't too interesting," I ignored Uncle Emmett, not sure if he was joking or being serious. "But, the teachers were nice."

"Did you make any friends?" Grandma asked.

"I talked to a few girls. A boy asked me for my phone number and I realized I don't even have my own cell phone! Can I get one?"

Jacob abruptly stood up. Startled, I reached out and grabbed his hand. "You're not leaving yet, are you?"

He sat back down. "No."

"I guess texting is a big thing with high school students?" I continued. "As soon as school was over, everyone had their phone out."

Aunt Rosalie nodded. "You should definitely get one."

"You don't want to be a clone," Jacob protested. "Why be like everyone else?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, who would I call anyway?"

"A cell phone isn't a bad idea," Aunt Rosalie glared at Jacob. "If there is an emergency, you'll need to call us."

"She's never alone, so that won't be a problem," Jacob countered.

Aunt Rosalie opened her mouth to reply, but I stood up. I hated when the two of them argued.

"I'm hungry. Want a snack, Jacob?"

Everyone dispersed and Jacob and I headed to the kitchen. It was much smaller than the one we had in Forks, but Grandma had stocked it with all my favorite foods. I bit into an apple, while Jacob took a handful of cookies.

"Thanks for staying."

Jacob smiled. "I wouldn't have missed your first day of school for anything."

I rolled my eyes. "It's not like it was _kindergarten_, although my father _did _act like a child. What did _you_ do today?"

He leaned back in his chair. "Not much. Took a nap, went for a run, then took another nap."

I frowned. "Sorry if you were bored. Want to go do something?"

"Sure. What do you have in mind?"

"We could go swimming?" The house had an indoor heated pool. It was pretty cool.

Jacob frowned. "Eh..."

I continued thinking and then a huge smile came across my face. I bit my bottom lip.

"Please, Jacob. Please, please, please."

He grinned cautiously. "What is it?"

"Teach me how to drive."

"Oh, Ness...I just have my motorcycle. Your dad would kill me. He freaked out when Bella had one."

"We can borrow someone else's car," I insisted, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the kitchen. "I don't want to be a clone, like you said, but learning to drive is a rite of passage. It's part of the high school experience. I mean, technically I already have a driver's license thanks to Uncle Jasper. "

"You can use my Lamborghini," Aunt Alice offered, passing us in the hallway.

Jacob's eyes brightened. "Really?" Then, he frowned and turned to me. "Well, you should probably learn on something with a little less power."

Mom appeared, with keys in her hand. "Take Edward's Volvo."

"Can we come watch?" Uncle Emmett asked, his arm around Aunt Rosalie.

I shook my head. "You'll just make fun of me if I mess up."

"I promise I won't, cross my heart."

"No way."

"Wear a seat belt," Daddy's voice called out from another room.

Mom kissed me on the cheek. "Have fun."

Jacob and I walked to the garage and he asked for the keys. "Let me drive until we find a place to practice...like an empty parking lot or something."

"Okay," I agreed, handing him the keys. He opened the passenger side door for me, as he always did, and I got in the car.

We drove out to the edge of town and found an abandoned shopping center. Jacob put the car in park. "Ready, Ness?"

I grinned. "Are you _nervous_?"

He laughed awkwardly. "No!"

"Are you afraid I'm going to crash and kill us both?"

"Of course, not."

"Then, what is it?"

He groaned. "Well, I guess I am a little nervous. How can I protect you if you're driving?"

"Okay, that's very sweet, but you're beginning to sound like Daddy. Stop trying to protect me."

"I can't."

"You can't what?"

"I can't stop protecting you. It was what I was created to do."

I froze and slowly turned to face Jacob. I looked at him directly in the eye. "Huh?" I asked, totally confused.

Jacob stared at me for a moment, then looked down. "Nevermind."

He quickly got out of the car and opened the door for me. He smiled brightly handing me the keys. "Let's do this!"

Distracted by his smile, I clapped my hands excitedly and took the keys.

I got inside the driver's seat and looked over at Jacob. He put on his seat belt with extreme exaggeration. It made me laugh.

"With your family being so into cars and your best friend being a mechanic, I can't believe no one has ever taught you how to drive," Jacob commented, shaking his head.

"I drove a go cart at an amusement park once, does that count?"

"Um, definitely not."

Jacob very clearly and patiently explained how to use the clutch, brake and accelerator. It took awhile to learn how to shift gears, but before too long, we had left the parking lot and I was driving down the street.

"Ness, you really are a genius," Jacob said with amazement. "I don't know anyone who has learned how to drive a manual transmission so quickly."

"I had a good teacher," I replied, with a bright smile.

He returned the smile, but there was sadness behind his eyes and I didn't know why. Before I could ask what was wrong, his guard went up and the sadness disappeared.

"Do you know the basic rules of the road?" he asked, looking out the front windshield. He pointed ahead. "For example, a stop sign means stop."

I slammed on the brakes, thankful no car was behind us. "Whoops, sorry!"


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks to pre-readers** ShynaMends **and **GeezerWench!**

* * *

**Jacob**

Much to my disappointment, Nessie ended up getting a cell phone. I desperately hoped there weren't any guys calling or texting her. My stomach churned with jealousy at the thought. But, there was a little comfort in knowing Edward was keeping a watchful eye over her. And Nessie often used the phone to call me when we weren't able to see each other. So, I wasn't _too_ disappointed.

I was trying to respect Bella and Edward's wishes of how I should interact with Nessie, but it was more than difficult staying in the friend zone. Every single thing about Nessie turned me on - the way she moved, how she bit her bottom lip when she wanted something really badly, how she would impulsively hold my hand or smile at me when she needed reassurance about something. I wanted to kiss her, run my fingers through her hair, make her moan with pleasure. Oh, the things I could do to make her happy...

When I was with Nessie, I couldn't think of such things, though. I was a gentleman and always on my best behavior. However, on those lonely nights that we were apart, and Edward couldn't read my mind, it was impossible to resist being consumed by my desire for her.

Edward said no more sleepovers, so when I went to visit, I always left at a respectable hour. Nessie had school, after all, and had to be well rested. Although we usually talked on the phone every day, I couldn't go more than a couple days without seeing her. I didn't want to overwhelm her, though, so sometimes I would travel to Port Townsend just to catch a glimpse of Nessie walking out of school to the parking lot. To his credit, knowing I was in the area, Edward would linger and engaged Nessie in conversation, giving me more than a few seconds to see her, all without her ever knowing.

Nessie seemed to be happy with school. She was making friends and had joined the math team. Edward let Nessie drive them all to school every morning and she really enjoyed that. As the weeks passed by, I grew more and more anxious for June to arrive. I really had no idea if Nessie viewed me as more than a family friend, but that wasn't going to stop me from trying to win her heart. I would risk anything, even rejection, to be with her.

On a Friday afternoon in the beginning of March, I felt too restless to wait until Saturday morning to drive to Port Townsend to visit Nessie. I decided to go early. If Nessie was free, which I hoped she was, we could spend Friday evening together, I'd sleep in the woods, then we would have all day Saturday. After throwing some clothes in a backpack, I locked up the house and jumped on my bike.

I arrived just after sunset. When I approached the house, it was dark and I wondered if anyone was home. Anxious to see Nessie, I rang the doorbell.

Emmett answered the door. "Hey, Jake," he greeted warmly. "Ness is in the kitchen, I think."

"Thanks," I put down my backpack and helmet by the door and took off my jacket.

"Glad you're here, buddy. Everyone else is gone and Rosalie and I wanted to spend some time together, but we can't really do that with the kid in the house, if you know what I mean." He gave a sly wink. "Would you mind if we step out for a little while? We'll be back before midnight."

"Um, sure, no problem," I replied, casually. "Take as long as you need." I tried to hide my excitement.

Being alone with Nessie was a rare occurrence. Her family was close and everyone was always involved in everything all the time. Any time that we could spend with the two of us, I treasured, although I tended to avoid it too because I didn't trust myself being alone with her.

Emmett disappeared and I walked to the kitchen. The house was much smaller than their house in Forks, but it was still a freaking mansion compared to my house. The lights were off in the kitchen, but I heard the sound of splashing in the distance. Following the sound, I went to the back of the house where there was an indoor pool.

Nessie was swimming laps. Her form moved up and down the pool. I stood for a moment, mesmerized. When she paused to take a break, she looked up and spotted me.

"Jacob!" she shrieked excitedly. My heart skipped a beat. She was happy to see me.

Jumping out of the pool, she ran towards me. My mouth dropped in shock as my eyes devoured her body. She was wearing a fucking _bikini. _It was modest, but still...beads of water dripped down her large breasts, her toned stomach and shapely legs called out to be touched.

Nessie threw her arms around me, pressing her body against mine. "You're here!" she exclaimed.

I stood frozen, my hands by my side. There was no way I could touch her. I wouldn't be able to control myself.

Noticing I wasn't moving, Nessie stepped away. "Oh, sorry!" she apologized grabbing a towel and covering up her body. "I got you wet."

She smiled at me brightly. "You're here early! Everyone is on a hunting trip. Aunt Rosalie and Uncle Emmett are here, though."

I was silently recalling the steps of how to install a transmission to prevent myself from becoming aroused.

"Jacob?" she called my name when I didn't respond.

I shook my head. "Um, well, actually, they left. Emmett said he and Rosalie needed to step out for a few hours."

Nessie laughed. "We know what _that_ means, don't we?"

Did she know? Did Nessie know about sex?

I laughed nervously. "Yeah..."

"Join me for a swim? I'll get you a pair of Uncle Emmett's shorts..."

"Um, I don't think..."

Nessie was already out of the room. "Be right back!"

She returned within a minute, throwing me a pair of shorts. "There's a bathroom behind you."

I nodded and stumbled over to it to change inside.

Nessie was already in the water when I returned.

"Cannon ball!" I called out, running and jumping in, making a large splash.

She laughed. It was my favorite sound in the entire world.

The end of the pool was only six feet deep, so I easily stood, while Nessie treaded water in front of me. I focused on her eyes and not her delicious body beneath the surface.

"I'm so happy to see you," she shared. "I didn't think you'd be here until tomorrow."

I smiled. "I missed you, so I decided to come early. I'm glad you're home. I thought you might have a date or something."

I admit it. I was fishing for information and wanted to see her reaction.

Nessie rolled her eyes. "Me on a date? Yeah, right. Daddy won't let any guy near me. He said that he's the only man in my life until I graduate."

"Oh, really?"

She nodded. "But, what he doesn't know is that there _is_ another man."

My body tensed. "Who is he?"

Nessie swam towards me and draped her arms around my neck. "You."

"Me?"

She looked doubtful for a moment. "Yeah, _you_."

I was stunned. "Nessie...I..."

She shifted her hands to press against my shoulder, trying to dunk me under water.

"Yeah, you're like my other _dad_."

Although she wasn't strong enough to push me, I went under anyway. When I broke the surface, instead of looking at Nessie, I swam to the edge of the pool. My heart was unexpectedly crushed.

"Nessie, I don't want to be a fucking _father figure_ to you."

I heard her splashing toward me and she lightly touched my shoulder. "I was joking," she explained apologetically. "You know, you're both so _protective_ of me...that's what I meant."

I turned to face her. I promised Bella and Edward I wouldn't tell Nessie how I felt about her, but I didn't promise to not ask her how she felt about me.

"Am I a friend?" I whispered.

"More than a friend," she replied. "You're my Jacob."

Nessie inched closer and put her hand on my cheek. She projected the happiness and excitement she felt when she saw me watching her in the pool. Then, she leaned forward, closed her eyes, and pressed her lips against mine.

This had happened once before, when she was on the verge of womanhood and saying goodbye. But, that kiss, although glorious, had been quick and almost chaste. This kiss was different. Her lips lingered against mine. I stood there in the water in shock.

_Nessie _was kissing _me_. Again!


	19. Chapter 19

Thanks to pre-readers/awesome people** GeezerWench **and** ShynaMends!**

* * *

**Jacob**

Nessie's eyes flew open. "I can't believe I just did that," she gasped.

Snapping out of my stupor, I pulled her closer. I wasn't going to let her get away.

"I liked it," I whispered, leaning my forehead against hers.

"You did?" she asked in amazement.

I nodded and tilted my head. I paused for a brief second, savoring the moment, then gently kissed her again. A small sigh came from her mouth and as her lips parted, I deepened the kiss and her arms came up to wrap around my neck.

She tasted so good, better than I could have ever imagined. The kisses we shared were passionate, but slow and soft. It was as if just the two of us were the only people on the planet. Dizzy with desire, I finally had to pull away before my hands began roaming.

Nessie was breathless, and as I looked at her, there was surprise on her face...and vulnerability. She looked young and maybe even a little afraid. My protective instincts for Nessie roared to life and I began to think that maybe Bella and Edward had been right. Maybe Nessie really wasn't ready for _this_.

"This is wrong," I mumbled, removing her arms from around my neck, and making distance between us in the water.

"Wrong?" she repeated.

"I'm sorry for kissing you, Ness," I apologized.

"I kissed _you _first," she pointed out.

"I was taking advantage of you."

"I didn't do anything that I didn't want to do."

How could I explain myself without sharing how I felt about her? It was impossible. We stared at one another for a moment, and a range of emotions flittered across Nessie's face. Finally, she spoke.

"I'm sorry I kissed you," she said. "I promise it won't happen again."

My eyes widened. I didn't say I wanted never wanted to kiss her again. The timing just wasn't right.

"We're friends," she continued. "We'll always be friends. Forget this ever happened."

I was struck by the maturity and resolve I heard in her voice. She wasn't pouting or upset or hurt. She was determined.

"Have you had dinner yet?" she asked.

I shook my head.

"Let's go into town and get some Chinese food."

Nessie climbed out of the pool at vampire speed, wrapped a towel around herself and disappeared.

I left the pool, too, changed back into my clothes and went into the living room to wait. Ten minutes later Nessie returned. She looked beautiful, wearing a purple tunic, black tights and black boots. It amazed me how grown up and mature she seemed. She almost looked older than Bella, actually.

"Your hair is wet and it's cold outside," she said, throwing me a towel.

"Thanks," I said, rubbing it through my hair to soak up the moisture.

Nessie opened a closet door and took out a black trench coat. I jumped up to help her put it on.

"You look really pretty, Ness," I complimented. "All grown up and stuff."

She wouldn't meet my eyes. "Thank you," she replied politely, but there was distance in her voice.

Maybe she _was_ upset with me, after all. I sighed. But, then, she smiled and handed me the keys to Edward's Volvo and asked me to drive. It was a simple gesture, but it let me know that she wasn't holding a grudge or anything.

Nessie gave me directions to the only Chinese restaurant in town on 3rd Street. It was crowded, being a Friday night, and we had to wait to be seated. I would have prefered to get take out and go back home, but Nessie was smiling and seemed to like to being out in public.

She waved at a couple of adults, I guessed they were probably her teachers, and Nessie introduced me to a girl named Sarah who was with her parents.

Then, a group of teenagers came in and when they spotted Nessie, they rushed to her to say hello. In fact, they tried to push me out, but I stayed close to her side. I almost put a protective arm around her shoulders, but decided not to.

These kids had just come from a school basketball game and were talking animatedly about the final play. A blonde guy and a tall skinny guy were both vying for Nessie's attention and I started to feel a little jealous when Nessie didn't introduce me to them, but allowed them to talk to her while she ignored me. I was relieved when the waitress finally called out that our table was ready.

"You're Miss Popular," I commented, a little grumpily, opening a menu.

"Whatever," she replied. "It's a small school. Everyone knows everyone."

"Who were those two guys?" I asked.

"Craig and Eric. We're in Chemistry together."

"They _like_ you."

"Good," she replied. "At least someone does."

Damn, I didn't expect_ that_ response.

"_I_ like you."

She sighed. "But, not the way those guys do."

"No."

Of course, I didn't like Nessie the same way. Those children were just full of hormones. My love for her was deep and pure and true and unconditional.

I glanced down at Nessie and her face was unreadable. It alarmed me because she was always so open and transparent with me. Kissing her in the pool had really fucked up things between us.

I desperately hoped I could repair the damage.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N: **About a week after my last update I moved 4,000 miles away from home to a remote region of the world. I thought it would inspire me to write, but it hasn't. Yet, this story needs to be finished and I need to be inspired. So...be on the lookout for more updates. I promise to finish _Strange Currencies_ soon! Thanks for reading!

* * *

**Renesmee**

I admit it. I was flirting with Craig and Eric at the restaurant. I wanted Jacob to see that other guys wanted me, even if _he _didn't.

When we returned from my trip, I had convinced myself that I didn't have a crush on Jacob. He was a dear family friend. My best friend. Nothing more. I enjoyed spending time with him. That was all.

But, it was silly for me to think I could so easily brush away my feelings. Maybe it was because I was surrounded by raging teenage hormones in high school, but I wasn't able to erase Jacob from my mind...or my heart.

I didn't have a crush on Jacob. I _loved_ him.

Sometimes, I felt like he was more important to me than my parents, but I knew that I loved them in a different way. My world revolved around his visits to Port Townsend. When he wasn't with me, I felt restless and incomplete.

I wasn't sure if Mom was continuing to shield my thoughts from Daddy, and I wasn't embarrassed about how I felt, but I did try to act normal when Jacob was around. I didn't want to be caught oogling his gorgeous body or blush whenever he touched me, which wasn't very often anymore. Every night I dreamed about him and sometimes my stomach would feel funny and the most glorious sensations would rush through my body.

My physical attraction for Jacob was definitely starting to become a distraction. If he was near, I wanted to touch him. So, when I was swimming alone one night and my thoughts were full of him, and he suddenly appeared out of nowhere, it was kind of a breaking point.

Of course, Jacob always treated me like a friend and nothing more, and I didn't think it was possible for him to consider me in a romantic sort of way. But, how long could I go lusting after him without doing something about it? I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't get some sort of release.

I made the first move.

In the pool, I intentionally kissed Jacob. I went for it. And, wow, it was better than I expected. He kissed me back and for a moment I felt like he wanted me the way I wanted him. It scared me a little. Could my dreams be coming true? Could I be so lucky?

But, then Jacob pushed me away. And I had an ah-ha moment.

I couldn't deny the fact that I knew I had a strange sort of power over Jacob. I didn't know how or why, but he always did whatever I wanted him to do. He did whatever he could to make me happy. And here he was, kissing me because I kissed him, then apologizing about it, when actually it was all my fault.

By kissing him, I was the one taking advantage of him. Jacob rarely denied me anything. I was abusing our friendship because of my feelings. I couldn't do that. I couldn't manipulate him. I wanted him to be mine in every way, but I couldn't force him to love me. He didn't really want me, anyway. How could he? I must have put some half-vampire spell on him to dazzle him the way Daddy used to dazzle Mom.

I put on a brave face, but my heart felt anxious. Why couldn't Jacob love me? Why did he think it was so wrong to kiss me? Wasn't I good enough? Was it because he had a girlfriend?

Flirting with Eric and Craig was silly, I had no interest in them whatsoever, yet I was secretly pleased when Jacob acknowledged they liked me.

"At least someone does," I responded crisply.

"_I_ like you." Jacob was always trying to protect me and make me feel safe.

I sighed. "But, not the way those guys do."

"No."

Wow, did Jacob want me to die of heartbreak right then and there in the restaurant? His _no_ made me feel like someone punched me in the stomach. I had never felt this level of pain before in my entire life.

It was hard to breathe, but somehow I made it through the meal. We didn't talk at all and drove home in silence, too. When we arrived home and parked the car, I stopped Jacob at the front door.

"I think it's best if you go," I whispered. Never in my life had I asked Jacob to leave.

Hurt was evident in his eyes. "Nessie, I'm sorry. I wish things could be different..."

"Stop," I interrupted, putting up a hand. "I stepped over the line tonight and I'm sorry. I think it's better if we don't see each other for awhile."

"No, I can't do that," he protested, grabbing my hand. "I'll be good, I promise."

"Jacob, I'm too embarrassed to be around you, okay? Knowing how you really feel about me is difficult to accept. I need _space_."

He took a step back and froze. "You know how I feel about you?"

I nodded, refusing to look at him again. "It's pretty obvious."

The awkwardness in the air was thick as we stood in silence for a moment. Jacob seemed to be paralyzed with shock.

"I had no idea you knew," he finally replied.

"I think I've always known."

Jacob stepped forward, but I backed away.

"Can we still be friends?" he asked softly.

My eyes filled with tears. "We'll always be friends."


	21. Chapter 21

**Jacob**

What the fuck had just happened?

I sat down on the front steps as Nessie closed the door and went inside. I couldn't leave her alone. I had to wait until Emmett and Rosalie returned until I could leave. Even then, it would be difficult.

She _knew_? I had hoped that Nessie felt the connection between us but I had no idea she knew that I _loved _her. She was really smart, always watching people and listening. It kind of made sense. I fucking worshiped her, she was my sun, everything in my universe revolved around her, so of course she would figure it out. There was no way to hide it.

Her goodbye replayed over and over in my mind. Nessie was _too embarrassed to be around me. _My feelings for her were_ difficult to accept._

It wasn't entirely rejection, but she didn't welcome my love with open arms, either. Maybe if I explained how imprinting worked it would be easier for her? I doubted it. It would probably be even more overwhelming.

True to his word, Emmett and Rosalie returned around midnight. I quickly waved goodbye, jumped on my bike and sped away. Instead of going east, I went west, headed to the Northern Cascades. When I arrived, I dumped my bike on the side of the road and began running into the forest. Within moments, I phased into wolf form.

Sam was on patrol and as soon he heard me, he expressed concern.

"_Jake, are you okay? Where are you?"_

My thoughts were jumbled and I could only see Nessie's face.

"_Is Nessie safe? Did something happen to her?"_

I didn't respond.

"_Where are you? I'll get the guys and we'll come to you."_

"_Leave me alone,"_ I commanded.

Since I was Alpha, he was forced to obey me. Sam's thoughts left mine and I was left alone in my frustration.

I collapsed on the forest floor. Hours passed and I heard a familiar voice calling my name.

"Jacob, Jacob?"

I opened my eyes and saw Bella and Edward standing before me. I ignored them.

"Are you hurt?" Edward asked. He had no idea.

"_I know what you're thinking, but no, I didn't tell her. She already knew and now she wants __space__."_

"Jacob, it must be a misunderstanding," Edward replied.

"What's going on?" Bella demanded.

"_Leave me the fuck alone."_

"Bella, we should go."

Becoming a vampire hadn't lessened her stubborn streak. "I'm not going anywhere! Jacob needs our help!"

"I'll explain later. We should get home."

"Is Renesmee _hurt_?" Bella shrieked.

As much as she cared for me, the possibility of Renesmee being hurt was more than enough motivation to cause her to go spiraling through the woods, obeying my request to be left alone.

* * *

**Renesmee  
**  
I was crying in my bed when Aunt Rosalie busted into my room, breaking down the door.

"What did that dog do to you?" she demanded.

Through tear soaked eyes, I looked up and saw her and Uncle Emmett towering over me. I knew one word from me and the two of them would leave the house, hunt Jacob down and kill him. No questions asked.

"Nothing," I sobbed.

Aunt Rosalie sat on the edge of the bed. "You've never cried like this before, Ness. What's going on?"

I swallowed. "I love him, but he doesn't love me!" I wailed.

Uncle Emmett's eyes widened and he visibly relaxed. "Um, I'll leave you two ladies alone to talk," he said, excusing himself.

Aunt Rosalie pulled me into her strong arms and started stroking my hair.

"Darling, tell me what happened," she begged.

For the next hour, I confessed how my feelings for Jacob had developed. I told her things I had never even told my parents and she listened without interrupting. Aunt Rosalie and I had always had a close relationship. She was like a second mother to me. Exhausted from crying, I fell asleep in her arms.

I was alone when I woke up. For this, I was thankful. Being able to tell someone all the things I had kept inside for so long did make me feel a little better. I knew Aunt Rosalie didn't like Jacob, but I knew she loved me and would listen without judgment. And she did. Overall, though, I still felt miserable and expected to feel this way for a long time. One doesn't easily get over having one's heart broken.

Mom and Daddy were downstairs when I finally emerged from my room. I hadn't bothered to take a shower. I just put on sweatpants, a shirt, and left my hair down, even though it was a tangled mess.

"We need to talk," Mom greeted.

I groaned. "Aunt Rosalie told you?"

"No. We saw Jake."

"You saw him? Where?"

"In the forest where we were hunting."

"Why would he be there?"

"That's why we need to talk."

I closed my eyes. "Please, Mom. I'm too embarrassed to talk about it, ok?"

"I thought you'd like to know there's been a misunderstanding."

"Uh, no, there hasn't. Jacob made it very clear."

"How did he do that?"

"Well, I kissed him and he said it was wrong."

She grinned. "You kissed him? I bet he liked that."

"Mom!" I blushed.

"Sorry, please go on."

"Do we really have to talk about this? Where's Daddy?"

"He went to Forks today."

"You didn't go with him?" My parents were always together. They were inseparable.

"We thought you would be more comfortable if he wasn't here while we talked."

"You could have shielded him," I pointed out.

"Well, it was also for his benefit, too. I want to tell you a story about something that happened between your father, Jacob and I before you were born."

I was speechless.

"Come," she beckoned. "Let's sit down and talk."

I snuggled up beside her on the sofa and put my head on her chest. She wrapped her arms around me. I thought about how much I loved her. Even though we looked the same age now, she would always be my one and only Mama.

"A few days after my eighteenth birthday, your father decided to leave me. He told me he didn't want me anymore. I was devastated."

I gasped and looked up at her. "Impossible! He would never do that!"

She frowned. "He did. And for many months, I completely shut down. But, then, Jacob saved me. He was able to help me when no one else could."

Mom began to share how Jacob's warmth and love for her brought her back to life. She told me what it was like when she discovered he could phase into being a wolf and how he and the pack saved her life when a nomad tried to kill her and Daddy wasn't there to protect her.

She told me of how when Daddy thought she was dead he went to the Voltrui to ask to die, but then Mom and Aunt Alice went to Italy and saved him. She told me about James and Victoria and the army of newborns. "Jacob and the pack risk their lives to save mine. He fought right along Grandpa, Grandma and your aunts and uncles."

I shivered in fear. I didn't like the idea of Jacob risking his life, of having to kill vampires or be killed himself. I remembered when the Volutri came to challenge my family and how Jacob was right there to keep me safe.

Mom continued her story, confessing about how she had broken Jacob's heart, how he disappeared for many weeks, but did attend her wedding. He was a faithful friend, by her side, until the day I was born. He was always loyal and protective of my family.

"Why are you telling me this?" I asked, wiping a tear from my cheek. Her story just made me love Jacob more and it hurt because I would never be with him.

"We have an unusual family and unusual life," she replied. "Even supernatural, right?"

I nodded.

"Jacob wasn't drawn to me because he thought I was pretty or interesting. All of the things that happened were because of you."

"Me?" I was confused.

"He was waiting for you, even though he didn't know. Destiny has brought the two of you together. You have a supernatural connection."

"But, he doesn't love me," I wept. "He has...a girlfriend."

I felt Mom's body stiffen. "A girlfriend? Who told you that?"

My body trembled with emotion. "I saw them together...before we left on our trip. It was the reason I wanted to go away...I couldn't bear it..."

It hurt so much, I broke down in tears.

Mom rubbed my back. "Shh...don't cry, Renesmee. There's been a big misunderstanding."

"No there isn't. I saw them."

"Look at me, darling," she demanded, putting her hand on my cheek and lifting up my head.

"There is only one woman in Jacob's life."

I could barely speak. "Who is it?" I whispered, terrified to finally know, to have it finally be acknowledged.

"_You_."


	22. Chapter 22

**Jacob**

I refused to move from the forest floor. Occassionally my brothers would appear in my thoughts, but they didn't bother me, although I could tell they were worried. Hours and hours passed and then I heard them speak her name. _Renesmee._

The fog of pain lifted and I jumped up, on alert.

"_We're not supposed to talk to Jake."_

"_Wouldn't he want to know?_"

"_Talk to me,"_ I commanded. _"What's wrong?"_

"_Billy talked to Charlie. Ness is sick. She's at the Cullen house in Forks."_

I was already running south. _ "Why is she there and not in Port Townsend?"_

"_I don't know, man. Something about the doctor having the right medical equipment there..."_

How fast could I run? I made my way across the Olympic National Park. I kept in touch with my brothers who had gone to the Cullen estate, but Edward wouldn't tell them anything.

It was late at night when I finally arrived. The pack joined me when I was within a twenty mile radius and followed me to the house. Once there, I decided to return to human form, and grabbed a change of clothes from the shack in the woods and quickly dressed. My stomach churned with nervousness as I approached the house. I couldn't lose Nessie. If she was really sick, I didn't know what I would do.

Edward was in the living room. He seemed to be waiting for me.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"Renesmee is with Bella. She's fine."

"I need to see her."

"I'd like to talk to you, Jacob."

"Later. Is Ness upstairs?"

"No, she's not here."

"What?" I asked in disbelief...quickly followed by annoyance.

"I had to lie. It was the only way I knew you would come."

"Don't fuck with me, Edward. Tell me what's going on."

"There's been a misunderstanding between you and my daughter. We need to talk."

My body tensed. "Nessie made it clear how she feels about me. And I accept her decision. I won't disappear from her life, but I'm not going to bother her either."

"Jacob, sit down."

"No."

"I lied to get you here. You came all this way...don't you want to hear what I have to say?"

As I turned to leave, Edward continued.

"Nessie loves you."

I stopped walking. "She loves me as a friend. Nothing more."

"I respectfully disagree. Please, sit down and let's clear up this misunderstanding."

Knowing Edward would probably bother me until I listened to him, I plopped down on a chair.

"Okay, talk."

"Although I'm not sure exactly what happened between you and Renesmee on Friday night, I do know that my daughter is in love with you. She has been for months."

I was shocked. Nessie in love with me? Was it possible?

"Bella tries to shield her thoughts, but not always and whenever I glimpse into my daughter's mind her thoughts are on you. And...um," his face tense. "She definitely thinks of you as more than a friend."

"If that's true, then why would she reject me when she knows how I feel about her?"

"Women are a mystery, Jacob. You know that. Even though I can read minds, I still don't understand why some people think the way they do. I don't want to totally betray Renesmee's privacy, but I will share that for many, many months she has been convinced that you have a Quileute girlfriend. She said that she saw the two of you together."

My mouth dropped open. "You know that's not true! Have I ever had anyone in my heart other than Nessie?"

"She must have gotten the idea from somewhere?"

I racked my brain, trying to think of a time in the last year when I was with any other women. I couldn't think of one.

"Renesmee told Bella that you went on a double date with Seth and a couple of women. Later that night, she saw you with one of those same women at your house. She said your hands were all over her."

It clicked. I remembered. "That was...just some girl." I could barely remember her name. "She sprained her ankle. I was just helping her out of a car. That's all."

Edward sighed. "It seems my daughter has inherited my tendency is overreact. She probably had never seen you with another woman before and it confused her."

"That was months and months ago! Why didn't Nessie ever say anything to me about it?"

"It was the reason she wanted to travel. I don't know how she hid that from me, but she did."

I was utterly speechless. I knew Nessie had been young at the time, but how could she think I would want anyone else but her? My mind felt dizzy with this information.

"Perhaps Bella and I were wrong to tell you to wait to share your feelings with Renesmee. We sincerely thought it was the best thing at the time. When we saw _you_ in the woods and then saw the condition _she_ was in, we knew we couldn't let this misunderstanding be blown out of proportion. We don't want either of you to be in pain. We want you to be happy."

Briefly I was reminded of how Sam found Bella in the woods, when Edward left her. Although I knew he wasn't thrilled about my feelings for Nessie, he knew the pain of being separated from the person you loved.

"Nessie loves me?" I suddenly felt like a little child, vulnerable and needy.

Edward nodded. "Yes, but I'm not going to say anything more about that. Whatever happened she said to make you think otherwise was a misunderstanding."

My thoughts were consumed with Nessie. "When she said you saw the condition she was in, what did you mean?"

"She cried herself to sleep in Rosalie's arms. She's _heartbroken_. She thinks you don't love her."

I jumped up. "Blasphemy! How could she think that?"

Edward shrugged. "Remember, she thought you were hiding a girlfriend."

"I was hiding my feelings for her, not a girlfriend. How ridiculous."

"Well, it seems Renesmee thinks you don't love her and you think she doesn't love you. It was a horrible misunderstanding."

Hope began to rise within me. It seemed all was not lost. I had a chance to love Nessie and for her to love me.

"Why are you helping me?" I asked suspiciously.

Edward smiled. "I don't have anything against you, Jacob. I actually like you, believe it or not. I know you love my daughter and will take care of her. It's just hard for me as a father to see her with _anyone_. I'll never be ready for her to grow up. When you have your own children, you'll understand."

I looked out the window. "I need to talk to her, I need to explain..."

"Bella has being doing damage control. You and Renesmee do need to talk eventually, but for now I think you can relax. We've tried to be delicate and haven't revealed too much. She knows now that you don't have a girlfriend and that she's the only woman in your life. Beyond that, the two of you will need to figure it out amongst yourselves."

"I don't know what to say," I sighed. "Thank you."

"Take care of her, Jacob. Take care of her."


	23. Chapter 23

**Renesmee**

"There is only _one_ woman in Jacob's life," my mother told me.

"Who is it?"

"_You."_

"Me?" I gasped.

"But, I saw..."

"I know that you saw something, but it wasn't what you thought. Believe me. Without a shadow of a doubt, you're the only woman Jacob is thinking about."

I sighed. "Okay, maybe I did misunderstand. Jacob may love me...I know we have a connection...but we can't be together. Mom, I'm not a Quilite."

"Why does that matter?" she asked.

"I'm half vampire - I'm their enemy."

"Has Jacob ever treated you like an enemy?"

"Of course not, but..."

"You don't choose who you fall in love with...love knows no boundaries. If you and Jake are meant to be together, it doesn't matter if you're half human, half vampire and he's a werewolf. We're supernatural creatures...why wouldn't we have supernatural love?"

"So, last night...when I told Jacob I understood how he felt about me? I was wrong?"

Mom nodded. "I'm pretty sure you were."

I groaned. "I messed up everything! I was such a jerk to him!"

She laughed softly. "He can take it. I have a confession to make. Daddy went to talk to him and clear things up."

My eyes widened and I blushed. "He did?"

She smiled with compassion. "He'll be discreet. Your father will only tell Jacob enough to smooth things over. Eventually the two of you will need to talk."

"I'm so embarrassed, though. I can't face him."

"Love never fails. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

"Are you quoting the _Bible_, Mom?"

"Smart girl."

We talked for awhile longer, until Aunt Rosalie joined us and demanded that I allow her to brush the tangles out of my hair. The three of us had a time of girl talk, as I asked them questions about how they knew they were falling in love. They made me giggle when I heard about the silly things Daddy and Uncle Emmett had done in the name of love.

My mind was full of thoughts of Jacob, of course. I was anxious to see him, but hesitant to talk. How would we even begin a conversation about "us"? On Sunday morning, a few hours after Daddy arrived back home, I received a text message from Jacob. My heart leapt in my chest as I read it.

**How are you?**

_**Okay. How are you?**_

**I miss you.**

I smiled. I missed Jacob, too. _**Can we pretend like Friday night never happened?**_

**Yes, but we need to talk.**

Butterflies filled my stomach. I was too embarrassed to talk to him about the misunderstanding.

_**Eventually. But, not now.**_

A minute passed before Jacob responded. **Okay.**

I immediately knew Jacob wasn't happy, but he wouldn't press it if that's what I wanted.

_**I miss you, too. **_I replied.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: ** No excuse for not updating. Sorry.

Thanks to **Mayra Anyway** for translating Strange Currencies into Portuguese! She's so nice!

Also, thanks to you readers for being patient. More updates to come!

* * *

The "misunderstanding" that happened between me and Jacob was on Friday night. By Sunday morning, after Mom had talked to me and Daddy talked to Jacob, it had been resolved. Sort of. We still needed to talk, but at least the drama had subsided. After our exchange of text messages, after I told him that I missed him, too, I didn't hear from Jacob. I wandered from room to room in our Port Townsend house, staring out windows, feeling restless. Was he upset with me that I wasn't ready to talk to him about the misunderstanding? I was thrilled he didn't have a girlfriend, but felt foolish for believing he had one. Was I really the only woman in Jacob's life?

Daddy was playing piano and I joined him on the bench. He smiled and winked, and we began to play our favorite duet - Flight of the Bumblebee. By the end, I was laughing. Daddy always knew how to brighten my mood. When I looked up, I noticed Jacob watching us from across the room!

I instinctively grabbed my father's arm so I wouldn't fling myself into Jacob's arms.

"Sorry, don't let me interrupt," Jacob waved, with an easy smile. "Please, go on."

I thought I would be nervous when I saw Jacob again, after behaving so badly and telling him I needed _space_, but I wasn't at all. With Jacob, I always felt happy and safe. Still, it was kind of amazing there was absolutely no awkwardness as we smiled at each other. I wondered if Uncle Jasper was intervening, but I knew he was out of town with Aunt Alice.

I was delighted Jacob came to see me so quickly, that he wasn't ignoring me. Daddy had cheered me up with playing, but Jacob being with me made everything right again.

Daddy and I played another duet and Jacob stood next to us, acting as if it was the most fascinating thing he had ever seen. He always gave me his full attention, no matter what I was doing. He had my entire life, but now...his attention made me blush and feel nervous.

Mom suggested we go see a movie, and included Jacob in the invitation. I was happy when he agreed to go with us, but surprised when Daddy encouraged Jacob to sit in the front of the car with him as he drove, instead of Mom.

After buying tickets, we found seats and I sat next to Jacob, the armrest separating us. As the lights dimmed, he lifted up the armrest and inched closer to me, putting his arm around my shoulder. He looked at me as if it ask, _Is this alright?_ and I smiled shyly in agreement.

Jacob was watching me instead of watching the movie. Daddy looked like a statue, he wasn't smiling or frowning, but I knew him and was worried something was wrong. Mom looked a little uncomfortable too, but she smiled brightly at me.

I was a worrier. Like father like daughter, I guess. Were we in danger? My mind immediately thought of the Volutrui. Was there human temptation? My parents were the strongest people I knew, not just physically, but also in character and integrity. Yet, they still battled with their vampire desires.

Jacob was looking at me curiously, with concern on his face. Did he sense my worry? We had this undeniable connection. He always knew when something was wrong.

I didn't want to worry him with my worries, so I placed my hand on his hand and showed him my memories of the movie we were watching, encouraging him to watch it with me. He winked at me and his eyes left mine and went to the screen.

Jacob kept his arm around me as we left the theater, and sat in the backseat of the car with me, as we drove home. I didn't want Jacob to leave. I felt so happy to be so physically close to him. In recent months he had been so hesitant about touching me, but now that restraint was gone. We were back to normal, but it was different, too.

My parents went inside the house, but I lingered outside with Jacob. We weren't talking, but there was electricity between us. Butterflies of nervousness filled my stomach and my face flushed with heat. Jacob leaned down and kissed me on the cheek. I thought I would faint. He whispered a question in my ear.

"Come to the reservation for Spring Break?"


	25. Chapter 25

**A/N: ** It was almost a year ago that I started writing this story. I remember the exact moment, I was at the beach and had just discovered the tv show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I was so excited about this story I was sure that I would finish it within the month. Now it's a year later….

My goal is to finish this story by June 10, which would be on the one year anniversary. Chapters will be shorter, but the story will move faster.

Thanks for sticking with me!

* * *

**Renesmee**

A week alone with _Jacob_? I immediately nodded yes and he smiled.

Loud crashing sounds began radiating from inside the house. I looked at Jacob with alarm.

"I suppose we need to ask your parents for permission," he chuckled, pulling me close and giving me a tight hug.

Was Daddy upset Jacob had invited me to the reservation? I hadn't been there since we returned from Europe, but I had spent practically every Saturday of my life at First Beach and at Jacob's family house. Why would visiting the reservation suddenly bother him now?

More crashing sounds came from inside the house and I was suddenly reminded of how Daddy told me that it was hard for him to see me become a woman.

_"No more sleepovers, Renesmee. I know you're becoming a woman and Jacob is a...__friend__...but for my sake, please don't do it again."_

_"For __your __sake?"_

_Daddy pinched the bridge of his nose. "You're my daughter. No matter how many years pass, you'll always be my baby. It's hard for me to see you mature in this way...to see you falling in love."_

I sighed. Being held by Jacob made me feel _so_ loved. Spending a week alone with him sounded like heaven on earth.

The front door of the house opened and in a blur Mom was standing in front of Daddy. Neither of them looked happy. In fact, they both shared the same worried look they wore at the movie theater. I quickly separated myself from Jacob. I felt embarrassed…guilty…confused. My parents were the reason Jacob and I were able to so quickly overcome our misunderstanding…they cleared things up between us. Now were they worried about us being together? It didn't make sense.

"You have school tomorrow, Renesmee," Daddy spoke calmly, but with authority. "Goodnight, Jacob."

He and Mom stepped back inside the house, in sync as always, indicating it was time for me to come inside, too. Obediently, I followed, but glanced over my shoulder to give Jacob a shy smile.

**Jacob**

After Ness went inside, I left the property and drove my motorcycle a few miles until Edward's car practically ran me off the road. I expected the conversation, but it didn't make it easier.

"I know you told me to wait until June to pursue her, Edward, but things have changed. Nessie loves me, she's made her choice."

"Fair enough, but that doesn't mean I'm going to let her go away with you…alone for a week…without supervision."

"Supervision?" I repeated. "Ness is a woman now, not a child."

"She deserves to be courted properly," Edward's eyes narrowed and for a moment I thought he was going to shove me.

_Was Edward trying to defend Nessie's honor?_

"Damn right I am," he sneered in response to my thoughts. "To hell with imprinting and your biological urges…you are _not_ going to take advantage of my daughter."

I was offended at what Edward was suggesting. Did he not understand my dedication to his daughter? How I would die for her? How she was the single most important thing to me in the universe? Every breath I breathed was for her.

Edward rolled his eyes. _"Come to the reservation for Spring Break?"_ he mimicked me, then cursed under his breath.

I took a deep breath, willing myself to be patient and mature. This wasn't _Edward_, this was Ness's father.

"I love her, she loves me….you've given me your blessing…."

Edward interrupted me. "The answer is no. Renesmee is not spending a week alone with you on the reservation."

"It's her decision to make…."

He raised both his hands, his palms facing me. "It's not going to happen."


	26. Chapter 26

**Renesmee**

When Jacob left, I went straight to my bedroom and my parents left me alone. I didn't ask about the piano shredded into pieces or the broken window that I passed by on my way upstairs. The damage was the obvious cause of the loud crashing sounds. Although, I had never seen my parents get angry with me, each other or anyone else ,I did remember a story of how my father broke a television when my mother was asking the family to vote on whether she should be changed into a vampire. Surely anger couldn't be the reason for the destruction.

As I drove us to school the next morning, my thoughts raced with anticipation. I was excited about spending time with Jacob.

Spring Break was only a week away. Technically, once school was over on Friday, I had nine days until I needed to return. Ten nights with Jacob. We hadn't had a sleepover in awhile. _Sleepover._ I blushed, imagining Jacob and I snuggled in bed together.

Immediately, I glanced at my father, wondering if he was reading my thoughts. He had an unreadable expression on his face. My mother sat in the backseat, reading a book, seeming to be distracted herself. I couldn't tell if she was shielding him or not.

Jacob had joked that we had to ask my parents for permission for me to spend Spring Break with him. But, I couldn't imagine we needed to ask. I knew my parents trusted Jacob. As for the upcoming _sleepovers_….it was my impression Daddy felt uncomfortable about it, not that he disapproved. It wasn't like Jacob and I were going to do anything inappropriate. Well, not too inappropriate. I definitely wanted to kiss Jacob again. And again. And again…

The school day felt longer than usual. Jacob sent a text message that said, "I miss you" and it made my heart flutter. I was anxious to see him soon. Maybe he would visit during the evening hours and we could go for a hunt?

When we returned home from school, Grandpa and Grandma met us at the door. At first I thought something was wrong, but they were both beaming and held envelopes in their hands.

"You have mail," Grandpa greeted, handing the letters to me.

I glanced at the return addresses to see whom they were from.

_Harvard, Brown, Dartmouth, and Yale University._

College acceptance letters. Or _rejection _letters. I had to open them to find out.

My parents and grandparents ushered me into the living room, and we were immediately joined by my aunts and uncles. They surrounded me with looks of anticipation and excitement.

Education was a big deal for my family. They all had multiple degrees and it wasn't just because they were immortal vampires with time on their hands. It was because they valued learning and enlightenment. There was never a question about whether I would go to college or not. It was just a question of when and where. And since high school already bored me, I would be attending college in the fall. I had filled out dozens of college applications while we were in Europe, which were read and analyzed by every single family member. No pressure, right?

I felt nervous. I didn't want to disappoint everyone, after all their involvement and coaching, by being rejected.

One by one I opened the letters. _Accepted, accepted, accepted, accepted._

I breathed a sigh of relief as my family cheered, then smothered me with hugs and kisses.

"More letters will be arriving this week," Alice announced. "But, you haven't made up your mind, have you? Any favorites?"

I glanced at Daddy and smiled. "Dartmouth, of course." It was his choice for me and he smiled back. His smile faded as I continued, though. "And…the University of Washington or Whitman College."

"You're going to an Ivy league school," Daddy replied.

I rolled my eyes and Uncle Emmett put his arm around my shoulders. "Don't be a snob Edward, Whitman has a great science program."

"Renesmee can go to an Ivy for medical school," Uncle Jasper added, always the peacemaker when tension was present.

I loved my family, but I was starting to feel pressured…and annoyed. I felt like they were already choosing the college I was going to go to, as well as my profession. It was _my_ life, not theirs.

I stepped away from the circle and turned to walk up the stairs to my bedroom. "I'm going to call Jacob," I mumbled.

"Wait," Mom called out. "Let's finish this discussion."

I snapped. "Discussion? It's not a _discussion,_ you're telling me what to do. We're not discussing anything. You're making all these choices for me."

Jacob wouldn't force me to do anything I didn't want to do. He always let me make my own choices.

"About Jacob…." my interrupted my thoughts, obviously reading mine. "You're not spending Spring Break alone with him…you can get that out of your mind right now."

I couldn't stop my response. "You can't control me, _Edward_. I'm an adult now."

There was a blur and rush of wind as my grandparents and aunts and uncles left the room at vampire speed, leaving me alone with my parents. That wasn't a good sign.

My mother frowned in disappointment, obviously displeased. "Don't talk to your father like that, Renesmee."

I knew calling him by his name would sting; he preferred Daddy.

"Mom, you know how controlling he can be…he doesn't like giving people choices…he thinks he's the only one who knows what's best for other people."

"He loves you," she immediately replied, defending him as always. "He wants what is best for you…."

"Don't speak about me in third person, I'm right here."

My eyes widened and I was momentarily stunned. My father had been stern with me at times, but had never spoke to my mother with _that_ tone. I saw the look of hurt on her face and felt like I would burst into tears. _I _caused this. My parents never, ever fought and now they were and I was the one who caused it.

Guilt and frustration overwhelming me, I ran out the front door. And then, I kept running and running. Without consciously realizing it, I was running to find Jacob.


End file.
